The regulations herein set forth shall apply and govern in all districts. No sign shall be erected or maintained unless it is in compliance with the regulations of this section and Chapter 23 of the Standard Building Code.

1)

Sign: The term "sign" shall mean and include every sign, billboard, poster panel, freestanding ground sign, roof sign, projecting sign, pylon sign, illuminated sign, sign painted on a wall, window, marquee, awning or canopy, and shall include any announcement, declaration, demonstration, display, ribbon, banner, illustration, or insignia used to advertise or promote the interests of any person when the same is placed in the view of the general public, traveling along a public street right-of-way.

2)

Freestanding sign structure: A freestanding sign structure may contain a sign or signs on one side only or it may be a V-shaped structure or one containing signs back-to-back. A freestanding sign structure is one sign.

3)

Sign area: In the case of freestanding signs, sign area consists of the entire surface area of the sign on which copy could be placed. Where a sign has two faces back-to-back, the area of only one face shall be considered the sign surface area. The supporting structure or bracing of a sign shall not be counted as a part of the sign's surface area. The sign surface area of a freestanding sign shall not exceed 100 square feet.

4)

Business identification sign: A business identification sign is a sign that contains the name of the business enterprise located on the same premises as the sign and the nature of the business conducted there. Not more than one-third of the area of a business identification sign may be devoted to commodity or service advertising.

5)

Pylon sign: A business identification pylon sign erected on a single pole or multiple poles which contains only the name or the nature of the business conducted on the premises on which it is located.

6)

Illuminated signs: When artificial illumination techniques are used in any fashion to project the message on a sign, that sign shall be an illuminated sign.

7)

Off-premises signs: A structure which advertises, attracts attention to, or directs persons to a business activity located on other than the premises where the structure is erected. Nationally advertised products or services shall not be deemed to be located on or carried on at the premises of local retail outlets or branch offices. This definition shall not include real estate directional signs.

8)

Temporary signs: Any portable advertisement display that directs or attracts public attention to a specific event, product sold or service offered by the beneficiary of such display. Such signs include but are not limited to the following:

A)

Signs made of paper, cloth polyethylene film or other similar material;

B)

Signs that are not permanently affixed to the ground or a building surface in a manner approved by the building inspector;

C)

Trailer signs;

D)

Portable signs;

E)

Banners, flags, or other similar devices.

9)

Freestanding signs: Freestanding signs are supported from the ground by a structure and are not attached to a building. There are two types: a pole sign and a ground sign. Their principal purpose is establishment identification.

10)

Pole sign: A pole sign is elevated high above ground level, typically on a pole or other structure.

11)

Ground signs: Ground signs are low to the ground and are typically used to identify large buildings, institutions, and real estate developments.

12)

Merchandising signs: Merchandising signs identify products or services available at an establishment and their prices. It shall be mounted to the structure of a pole sign or to other freestanding sign structure, and shall not be placed on a moveable frame or wheels.

13)

Wall signs: Wall signs are attached to the wall of a building and project out from such walls no more than 14 inches. The area of a wall sign includes that area within a continuous line enclosing all letters and graphic symbols of the sign.

14)

Unified development signs: Signs for unified developments, such as shopping centers, office parks, etc., should identify only the development, not individual tenants or establishments.

15)

Sign, electronic changeable copy. A sign or portion thereof that displays electronic, non-pictorial, text information in which each alphanumeric character, graphic, or symbol is defined by a small number of matrix elements using different combinations of light emitting diodes (LEDs), fiber optics, light bulbs, or other illumination devices within the display area. Electronic changeable copy signs include computer programmable, microprocessor controlled electronic displays.

16)

Sign, electronic graphic display. A sign or portion thereof that displays electronic, static images, static graphics or static pictures, with or without text information, defined by a small number of matrix elements using different combinations of light emitting diodes (LEDs), fiber optics, light bulbs, or other illumination devices within the display area where the message change sequence is accomplished immediately or by means of fade, repixalization or dissolve modes. Electronic changeable copy signs include computer programmable, microprocessor controlled electronic or digital displays. Electronic graphic display signs include projected images or messages with these characteristics onto buildings or other objects.

17)

Sign, multi-vision. Any sign composed in whole or in part of a series of vertical or horizontal slats or cylinders that are capable of being rotated at intervals so that partial rotation of the group of slats or cylinders produces a different image and when properly functioning allows on a single sign structure the display at any given time one of two or more images.

18)

Sign, video display. A sign that changes its message or background in a manner or method of display characterized by motion or pictorial imagery, which may or may not include text and depicts action or a special effect to imitate movement, the presentation of pictorials or graphics displayed in a progression of frames that give the illusion of motion, including, but not limited to, the illusion of moving objects, moving patterns or bands of light, or expanding or contracting shapes, not including electronic changeable copy signs. Video display signs include projected images or messages with these characteristics onto buildings or other objects.

(Ord. No. 2011-11, § I, 8-8-11)

The following regulations shall apply to all permitted signs in the area of jurisdiction of the Fort Mill Planning and Zoning Commission:

1)

A permit shall be required for the erection, alteration, or reconstruction of any sign, unless otherwise noted, which shall be issued by the zoning administrator in accordance with article IV of this ordinance. The fee schedule for such permits shall be established by the town council during the adoption of the annual budget ordinance.

2)

Signs shall be constructed of durable materials, maintained in good condition and not permitted to become dilapidated.

3)

All signs located on sites abutting federal or state highway rights-of-way shall conform to all applicable federal and state regulations. In instances where the sign control provisions of this ordinance are more strict, then this ordinance shall apply.

(Ord. No. 2010-12, § II, 9-20-10)

The following types of signs shall be prohibited within the corporate limits of the Town of Fort Mill:

1)

Signs resembling or imitating traffic and/or warning signals. No sign shall display intermittent lights resembling the flashing lights customarily used in traffic signals or in police, fire, ambulance, or rescue vehicles nor shall any sign use the words "stop", "danger", or any other word, phrase, symbol, or character in a manner that might mislead or confuse an automobile or other vehicular driver.

2)

Signs on roadside appurtenances. Signs attached to or painted on utility poles, trees, parking meters, bridges, overpasses, rocks, other signs, benches, refuse containers, the roofs of buildings, etc., unless specifically allowed elsewhere in this chapter.

3)

Projecting signs. Projecting signs from any building or structure, except in GI, LC and HC zoning districts, provided:

a.

Such signs shall not exceed 12 square feet in area;

b.

Such signs may not extend more than three feet from the facade to which they are attached;

c.

Such signs shall not impede the movement and/or visibility of pedestrians, bicyclists and/or motor vehicles;

d.

No such sign shall be permitted which encroaches into a public right-of-way without first obtaining an encroachment permit from the appropriate granting authority; and

e.

No more than one projecting sign shall be permitted for any place of business.

4)

Off-premises signs. General advertising signs and billboards that advertise a commodity or service not available on the premises on which the sign is erected are considered off-premises signs.

5)

Roof signs. Roof signs or portions of other signs that extend above the highest elevation in a roof.

6)

Portable signs. Signs mounted on wheels or other portable framework and other moveable signs except as permitted in article III, section 6, subsection 8).

7)

Animated/flashing signs and signs of illusion. Signs displaying blinking, flashing, or intermittent lights, or animation, moving parts, or signs giving the illusion of movement, unless specifically allowed elsewhere in this chapter.

8)

Abandoned signs and sign structures. Signs that advertise an activity or business that is no longer conducted on the property on which the sign is located. Such signs or sign structures must be removed within 30 days of becoming an abandoned sign or sign structure.

9)

Pennants, streamers, balloons, etc. Signs containing or consisting of pennants, ribbons, streamers, balloons, or spinners.

10)

Signs obstructing access. Signs that obstruct free ingress or egress from a driveway, or a required door, window, fire escape, or other required exit-way.

11)

Signs located in the right-of-way. All signs located in the right-of-way, unless specifically allowed elsewhere in this chapter. This shall exclude any sign erected by the town or other public agency that is qualified to install any such sign within a right-of-way for directional, informational, or public safety purposes.

12)

Inflatable signs or balloons.

13)

Electronic graphic display signs.

14)

Multi-vision signs.

15)

Video display signs.

(Ord. No. 2011-11, § II, 8-8-11; Ord. No. 2012-05, § I, 8-23-12)

A permit is not required for the following type of signs in any zoning district:

1)

Traffic, directional, warning, or information signs authorized by any public agency.

2)

Official notices issued by any court, public agency, or officer.

3)

One nonilluminated "For Sale", "For Rent", or "For Lease" sign not exceeding six square feet in area in residential districts and twenty square feet in other than residential districts and located no less than ten feet back from the street right-of-way line, unless attached to the front wall of a building.

4)

Permitted home occupation signs, under the regulations set forth in article I, section 7, subsection F.7).

The following regulations apply to the following specified types of signs:

1)

Signs on work under construction: One nonilluminated sign, not exceeding forty square feet in area, displaying the name of the building, the contractors, the architects, the engineers, the owners, the financial, selling, and development agencies, is permitted upon the premises of any work under construction, alteration or removal. Such sign shall be removed from the site within 30 days after the completion of the project.

2)

Temporary subdivision signs: Temporary signs, not exceeding forty square feet in area, announcing a land subdivision development, are permitted on the premises of the land subdivision. They shall be set back not less than ten feet from the right-of-way of any street or from any boundary line of the land subdivision. Such signs shall be spaced not less than three hundred feet apart. They shall be removed when seventy-five percent of the lots are conveyed.

3)

Open house/special promotion real estate directional signs may be erected for one 36-hour period one time per week. There may be three such signs for one piece of property.

4)

Routine real estate directional signs shall be limited to three for one piece of property. Only one such sign per firm shall be permitted at any given intersection. These signs are to be removed within 48 hours after closing of the property for which the signs were used.

5)

All off-premises real estate directional signs shall be used only for properties for sale, not for properties for rent or lease.

6)

Yard sale signs cannot be posted more than two days prior to the sale and must be removed on the day of the sale. Sales must be limited to two days. Permits are limited to four per year.

7)

Temporary signs including promotional signs, displays, banners, etc: Temporary signs, displays, banners, etc., are allowed in commercial districts providing the following requirements are met:

A)

A sign permit is required for all temporary signs. A responsible individual shall make application for a sign permit in writing on a form provided by the town, with such being reviewed and approved by the town building official before any temporary outdoor sign, display, banner, etc., is installed, erected, and/or displayed.

B)

That advertising of the above description may be displayed for no more than 60 days for a specific promotion.

C)

An organization or individual may apply for only two temporary sign permits within a calendar year and there shall be at least 30 days' lapse from the end of one permit until the start of the second.

D)

Civic, religious, and other nonprofit community organizations may be allowed with permission of the town manager, to erect and/or otherwise display signs, banners, etc., on or over town property, causeway, walkways, etc., provided, that such material is neither controversial nor offensive; that the activity or concern advertised is of community interest; and that any erection across a public street, causeway, walkway, etc., shall be done by a licensed, bonded, and insured party.

E)

Materials erected or displayed shall be of a quality, size, and nature so as not to cause litter, hazard, obstruction, or unreasonable distraction.

F)

All such signs, banners, displays, etc., shall remain the responsibility of the owner, advertise, and/or sponsoring group and any damage, injury, and/or expense incurred by the town or its personnel shall be borne by same.

G)

Upon becoming damaged or deteriorated, such signs, banners, displays, etc., shall be immediately removed.

1)

Illumination devices shall be so placed and so shielded that rays therefrom or from the sign itself will not be directly cast into any residential district or sleeping room in any district or the eyes of an automobile or vehicle driver.

2)

No flashing lights are permitted on any sign. Internal or flood lighting is permitted as long as the lighting consists of only yellow or white light.

No signs, except as otherwise specified, shall exceed the height limit of the district in which they are located. The height of a freestanding sign shall not exceed 24 feet.

Except as otherwise specifically provided, no sign shall be erected within the front yard setback, side yards or rear yards required for all buildings and structures in the district.

The following types of signs are permitted in R-25, R-15, R-10, and GR districts:

1)

One nonilluminated professional or business name plate not exceeding two square feet in area mounted flat against the wall of a building in which there is conducted a permitted home occupation.

2)

For multiple-family dwellings, hotels, group dwellings, and for buildings other than dwellings, a single nonilluminated business identification sign or bulletin board not exceeding six square feet in area. Such sign or bulletin board shall be set back not less than ten feet from any street right-of-way line, unless attached to the front wall of a building.

3)

Temporary subdivision signs, under the provisions set forth in section 6, subsection 6) of this article.

The following types of signs are permitted in commercial and industrial districts:

1)

All signs permitted in residential districts are permitted in commercial and industrial districts.

Sign regulations, as set forth in this section, shall be administered under the provisions of article VI.

Ground signs are low to the ground and are typically used to identify large buildings, institutions, and real estate developments.

1)

Maximum height. Eight feet above normal ground level.

2)

Maximum number. One for each street frontage except in the case of a real estate development, in which case two are allowed, one on either side of the main entry way street.

3)

Maximum area. Internally illuminated—66 square feet. Nonilluminated or indirectly illuminated—80 square feet. If setback is in excess of 50 feet from facing property line, maximum area may be increased 0.7 square feet for each additional foot of setback up to a maximum sign area of 150 square feet.

4)

Minimum setback. Fifteen feet from any property line and/or three feet from right-of-way. Line-of-sight guidelines must be followed.

5)

Advertising message. Letters, symbols, and graphics of a ground sign should not occupy more than 40 percent of total sign area.

A pole sign is elevated high above ground level, typically on a pole or other structure.

1)

Maximum height. 24 feet above the grade of the frontage street.

2)

Maximum number. One for each premises regardless of the number of establishments.

3)

Maximum area. Internally illuminated—55 square feet. Nonilluminated or indirectly illuminated—66 square feet.

4)

Minimum setback. No portion of the sign shall be nearer than ten feet to any property line.

5)

Advertising message. Letters, symbols, and graphics of a pole sign shall not occupy more than 40 percent of the total sign area.

Merchandising signs identify products or services available at an establishment and their prices. It shall be mounted to the structure of a pole sign or other freestanding sign structure. It is not to be placed on a moveable frame or wheels and it should conform to the following standards:

1)

Maximum height. Ten feet.

2)

Maximum area. 36 square feet.

3)

Minimum setback. Ten feet from any property line or driveway.

4)

Maximum number. One for each establishment.

Wall signs are attached to the wall of a building and project out from such walls no more than 14 inches. The area of a wall sign includes that area within a continuous line enclosing all letters and graphic symbols of the sign.

Maximum sign area. No wall sign shall exceed an area equal to 15 percent of the area of the wall to which it is affixed. No wall sign shall have an area greater than 150 square feet except that, if the sign has a setback greater than 50 feet from its frontage, its area can be increased one square foot for each additional foot of setback up to a maximum of 450 square feet. Where a sign is placed on a pitched roof, and below its ridge, it is considered a wall sign. The area of the roof will be considered part of the total wall area.

The use of temporary signs to advertise real estate developments or sales events, is discouraged and they should be promptly removed after their purpose has been served. They should conform to standards set forth for freestanding signs except that, if they are pole signs, their height should be limited to 12 feet, and area size to 32 square feet.

Signs for unified developments, such as shopping centers, office parks, etc., should identify only the development and individual tenants or establishments. If it is a wall sign, its area should not exceed 15 percent of that section of the wall to which it is attached and not exceed a maximum area of 450 square feet. If it is a freestanding sign, it should conform to standards set forth for freestanding signs except that, if the street frontage of the unified development exceeds 300 feet, such standards may be modified as follows:

1)

Maximum height. 30 feet above the grade of the frontage street;

2)

Maximum area. For every foot of street frontage in excess of 300 feet, maximum sign area may be increased as follows:

1)

0.14 square foot for internally illuminated signs, up to a maximum sign area of 96 square feet

2)

0.2 square feet for indirectly illuminated or nonilluminated signs up to a maximum sign area of 120 square feet.

(Amd. of 7-9-07)

1)

Electronic changeable copy signs. Electronic changeable on-premise copy signs are permitted in all zoning districts.

a)

Time, temperature, and gasoline price displays are allowed, but must not exceed 20 square feet of the sign face.

b)

All other changeable copy signs shall only be permitted with the following restrictions:

1.

Such signs shall remain static at all times—Scrolling, blinking, flashing and/or movement of any kind shall be prohibited.

2.

For signs located less than ten feet from the ground, the electronic area shall not exceed 40 percent of the allowed/permitted sign face. For signs located at least ten feet from the ground, the electronic area shall not exceed 50 percent of the allowed/permitted sign face.

3.

The message must not change more than once every six seconds.

4.

Illumination shall be no greater than 7,500 nits during daylight hours and no greater than 500 nits during evening hours.

5.

Audio speakers or any form of pyrotechnics are prohibited in association with an electronic changeable copy sign.

6.

The leading edge of the sign must be a minimum distance of 100 feet from an abutting residential district boundary. This requirement shall not apply to permitted non-residential uses located within a residential zoning district, including, but not limited to, public facilities and religious institutions; provided, however, that no sign shall be erected within 150 feet from any residential dwelling.

7.

In any historic overlay district within the municipal limits of the Town of Fort Mill, electronic signs shall not be permitted to be installed, affixed or displayed in any location that is visible from a public street or right-of-way.

8.

Subparagraphs 2., 6. and 7. shall not apply to any digital sign that is legally in existence as of August 1, 2011.

(Ord. No. 2011-11, § III, 8-8-11; Ord. No. 2013-24, § I, 9-9-13)