The purpose of this article is to permit signs
that will not, by reason of their size, location, construction or
manner of display, endanger the public safety of individuals, confuse,
mislead or obstruct the vision necessary for traffic safety or otherwise
endanger public health, safety, morals and general welfare; to permit
and regulate signs in such a way as to support and complement the
purpose of this chapter; to prevent the proliferation of signs which
detract from the appreciation of the landscape; and to preserve and
enhance the attractiveness of Dorchester County.
A.
No sign shall be erected until a sign permit and/or
building permit has been issued, except for those signs specifically
exempted in this article.
B.
No sign shall, by reason of its intensity, color,
location or movement, interfere with traffic lights, signals or other
controls, obscure the view of a road or in any other manner impair
public safety. Flashing or animated signs are prohibited, except those
elements of a sign displaying time or temperature.
C.
No sign, other than an official traffic sign, shall
be located within the right-of-way of any road.
D.
No sign shall be attached to a utility pole or any
other unapproved supporting structure. No sign which requires a sign
permit shall be attached to a tree.
E.
These regulations do not apply to a sign on a truck,
bus or other vehicle which identifies the product, service or activity
for which the vehicle is used and which is incidental to the primary
business use of the vehicle for transportation.
F.
No part of a freestanding sign shall be located closer
than 10 feet to any lot line.
G.
Wall signs may be located on any wall of a building
at any height up to the roof line but may not extend above the roof
line.
H.
Signs located inside a building window are not included
when determining maximum number or sign area allowed.
J.
Each off-premises sign requiring a sign permit and/or
building permit shall be clearly marked with the permit number and
the name, address and phone number of the person or firm placing the
sign on the premises.
Every application for a sign permit shall be
accompanied by plans drawn to scale and shall include the following:
A.
The dimensions of the sign and its supporting structure.
When the sign is to be attached to a building the application shall
include dimensions of and location on the building wall surface.
B.
The proposed location of the sign in relation to the
boundaries of the lot on which it is to be situated.
C.
The wording or design to be carried on the sign.
D.
The manner of illuminating and securing the sign to
a building, structure or the ground.
E.
Materials to be used in the construction of the sign.
F.
For all off-premises signs, written permission from
the owner(s) of the property where the sign is to be erected.
A.
Any sign associated with an activity on a vacated
premises shall be removed from the premises, altered or resurfaced
by the owner or lessee within six months from the time such activity
ceases so that the sign will not display letters, numerals, symbols,
figures, designs or any other device for visual communication pertaining
to the former activity.
B.
All signs shall be maintained in good condition and
appearance. The Director of Planning shall remove or cause to be removed
any sign which shows gross neglect, becomes dilapidated or where the
area around such sign is not well maintained.
C.
The Director of Planning shall remove or cause to
be removed any sign erected or maintained in conflict with this chapter
if the owner or lessee of either the site or the sign fails to correct
the violation within 30 days after receiving written notice of violation.
Removal of a sign by the Director of Planning shall not affect any
proceedings instituted prior to removal of such sign.
The Table of Permitted and Regulated Signs indicates
the types of permitted signs and specific regulations applicable to
them.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Said table is located at the
end of this chapter.
[Added 6-1-2021 by Bill
No. 2021-10]
A.
Purpose. The purpose of this section is to provide flexibility in
the application of sign regulations for automobile dealerships on
large sites that sell multiple brands of vehicles. Through the review
and approval of a master sign plan, the Planning Commission may allow
deviations from the strict application of the sign regulations to
permit the integration of signage that adequately identifies all brands
of vehicles that are sold to the public from a particular site. A
master sign plan is intended to encourage creativity and excellence
in the design of signage in order to ensure architectural compatibility
and effective communication to the public.
B.
Requirements. The approval of a master sign plan may only be permitted
when all of the following conditions exist:
C.
Approval authority. A master sign plan shall be reviewed and approved
by the Planning Commission in accordance with this section.
D.
Modification of regulations. Subject to the provisions of this section,
an approved master sign plan may authorize signs that are not in strict
accordance with other provisions of this chapter. Permitted modifications
may relate to sign area, dimensions, number of signs, height and location.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, a master sign plan shall comply with
the following:
(1)
Primary facade (facing the primary right-of-way):
(a)
The total amount of building-mounted signage on the primary
facade shall not exceed two square feet of sign area per linear foot
of facade.
(2)
Secondary facades:
(a)
On all other facades, an additional one square foot of wall-mounted
signage per total combined linear feet of secondary facades is allowed,
not to exceed two square feet per linear foot of any given elevation.
(b)
Additional building-mounted signage on secondary facades may
be permitted, provided that the total area of all building-mounted
signage on secondary facades does not exceed one square foot of sign
area per linear foot of secondary facade, and further provided that
the amount of signage on any secondary facades does not exceed two
square feet of that particular facade.
(3)
Freestanding signs:
(a)
Shall: i) be set back at least 10 feet from all property lines;
ii) not exceed 20 feet in height above finished grade; iii) not exceed
80 square feet in area; and iv) shall be located no less than 100
feet away from any other freestanding sign.
(b)
Freestanding signs may only be permitted in the area defined
by the perpendicular projection of the primary building facades onto
the main right-of-way.
(c)
No more than one freestanding sign per vehicle brand sold on
the site may be permitted.
E.
Application requirements. A master sign plan shall include all information
and materials reasonably required by the Planning Commission to review
a request.
F.
Findings. Before approving a master sign plan, or any amendment thereto,
the Planning Commission shall make the following findings:
(3)
All proposed signs are compatible with the scale and design
of the overall development of the site, and are in harmony with all
other signs already located on the site; and
(4)
The proposed signs comply with the standards of this chapter,
except that flexibility is allowed with regard to sign area, dimensions,
number, location and/or height to the extent that the proposed signs
will enhance the overall development of the site and will provide
more effective and identifiable recognition by the public of the vehicle
brands that are offered for sale.
G.
Revisions to master sign plans. Following the approval of a master
sign plan, the Planning Commission may approve revisions from time
to time in accordance with the requirements of this section.
