Morrisville Unified Development Ordinance - February 2021.2

Article 5: Development Standards Section 5.16. Signage 5.16.2. Applicability

7. The Town has an important and substantial interest in preventing sign clutter, which is the proliferation of signs of increasing size and dimensions as a result of competition among property owners for the attention of passing motorists, because sign clutter degrades the character of the community, makes the community a less attractive place for commerce and private investment, and dilutes or obscures messages displayed along the Town’s streets by creating visual confusion and aesthetic blight; 8. Sign clutter can be prevented by regulations that balance the legitimate needs of individual property owners to convey their commercial and noncommercial messages against the comparable needs of adjacent and nearby property owners and the interest of the community as a whole in providing for a high quality community character; 9. Temporary signs that are not constructed of weather-resistant materials are often damaged or destroyed by wind, rain, and sun, and after such damage or destruction, degrade the aesthetics of the Town’s streets if they are not removed; 10. The Town has an important and substantial interest in keeping its rights-of-way clear of obstructions and litter; 11. The uncontrolled use of off-premises outdoor advertising signs and their location, density, size, shape, motion, illumination and demand for attention can be injurious to the purposes of this section, and destructive to community character and property values, and that, as such, restrictions on the display of off-premises commercial messages are necessary and desirable; and 12. Posting of addresses for buildings in locations that are visible from the public right-of-way is necessary for the effective, efficient, and timely delivery of public safety services, and delivering such services is a compelling governmental interest. D. Substitution Notwithstanding anything in this section to the contrary, any sign allowed under this section, whether it be allowed without a permit, with a permit, by variance approval, or through other means, may, in lieu of any other message or copy, contain any lawful noncommercial message, subject to compliance with all other terms of this section. 5.16.2. Applicability A. General Except as exempted in subsection B below, no sign shall be erected, installed, constructed, altered, or moved except in accordance with the standards in this section. B. Exemptions The following signs are exempt from the signage regulations of this Ordinance: 1. Town, county, state, and federal traffic signs; 2. Historical markers, monuments, or signs erected by public authority; 3. Official notices or advertisements posted or displayed by or under the direction of any court official in the performance of his/her official or directed duties, or by trustees under deeds of trust or other similar instruments; 4. Signs denoting the location of underground utilities; 5. Signs approved by the Town Council for posting in association with municipal, county, state, or federal authorities for crime prevention and public safety and health;

6. Temporary signs advertising Town-sponsored events; 7. Warning signage affixed to tree protection fencing;

Morrisville, NC

February 1, 2021

Unified Development Ordinance

Page 5-153