§ 19-372. Application of regulations

All signs within the jurisdictional area shall be covered by these regulations and shall be erected, constructed, and maintained in accordance with the provisions of this article, the North Carolina Building Code, and the National Electrical Code. Only those signs that are permitted shall be erected within the jurisdictional areas of this article. See the table on file in the town clerk's office for list of signs that are prohibited by zone.

(a) Computation of area of individual signs. The area or "surface area" of a sign is defined by the smallest perimeter (formed by a rectangle) fully enclosing the total surface devoted to the sign's message, together with any ornamentation, embellishment, and associated background, excluding any necessary supports or uprights on which the message is placed and excluding any architectural ornamentation. As an aid to interpreting this formulation, the following is to be employed:

(1) If the message is on a surface, structure or frame specifically employed for holding signage, the entire surface area within the frame's border is counted;

(2) If the message is on a door, wall or other structural part of a building, only that portion of the door, wall or structure actually devoted to the message and associated symbols and background, if any, is counted.

(3) If a sign has two (2) or more faces, the area of all faces shall be included in determining the area of the sign and the area of the sign shall be taken as the area of one (1) face if the two (2) faces are of equal area, or the area of the larger face if the two (2) faces are of unequal area.

(b) Total sign area allowed for permanent nonresidential signs. Each commercial and business property is allowed a total aggregate surface area not to exceed one and one-half (1½) square feet for each linear foot of building frontage. Buildings located on corner lots (fronting upon two (2) public commercial street rights-of-way, excluding alleys, walkways, side streets and residential streets) and multi-story buildings with upper-floor, nonresidential occupants or tenants are allowed a maximum sign surface not to exceed one and one-half (1½) square feet for every linear foot of building frontage. Suspended and projecting signs shall be calculated separately from other wall signs.

(c) Signs not included in total area allowance. All permanent signs permitted and regulated through the ordinance shall count as part of the property's total allowed signage except: building markers, flags and flagpoles, identification, incidental, wall-mounted directory of no larger than three (3) square feet, suspended signs of no larger than two (2) square feet in total area. In addition, signs specifically associated with sidewalk cafes, sandwich boards and street furniture shall not be calculated as part of the establishment's total sign area.

(Ord. of 8-19-03; Ord. of 3-15-11, # 2)