County sets new rules for billboards
By Steve Herring
Published in News on March 8, 2015 1:50 AM
Billboards are no longer prohibited along Wayne County freeways.
Wayne County commissioners Tuesday eliminated that rule and made several other changes to the county ordinance governing outdoor advertising signs.
The ordinance added how signs may be placed in zoned areas.
That change will allow outdoor advertising signs to be placed in areas zoned community shopping, airport, light industry, heavy industry or airport industry.
Signs in these areas do not need to be within 800 feet of a qualifying commercial or industrial activity.
In response to questions by Commissioner Joe Gurley, County Planner Connie Price said the requirement would remain that if a sign is erected in an unzoned area, it would have to be within 800 feet of a qualifying business.
"But if it is zoned as a commercial zone, or industrial zone, there would not have to be qualifying business nearby," he said. "That pretty much matches what the state has.
"But if a county or city has zoned areas, it recognizes that zoned area in lieu of the individual business. What it would not support or recognize would be a county going in and zoning just one spot for the purpose of putting up a sign. You have to have an area."
Commissioner Joe Daughtery said the provision would be meaningless unless the county would implement some type of zoning along the U.S. 70 Bypass corridor.
"So we would need to have the Planning Department start the process of doing that," Daughtery said.
Price said that would be the next step.
"We can adopt this, there may be some qualifying location out there that a sign developer could find based on these changes, but we would also need to amend the (zoning) map around some of these interchanges to put them in a commercial zone," Price said.
Commissioner Bill Pate said some of the land along the highway corridor is agricultural. Pate asked if the land could still be farmed if it was rezoned commercial or community to allow for the signs.
It can, Price said.
The biggest change in going from agricultural-residential to commercial or community shopping use would be that residential use would no longer be allowed, he said.
Other changes to the ordinance include:
* Reducing the area regulated along highways from 1,000 feet from the roadway to 600 feet.
* Reducing spacing between signs from 1,000 feet to 750 feet along freeways and all other highways. The original proposal had been 500 feet along freeways and 300 feet along all other highways. The 750-foot spacing was requested by the Planning Board.
* Clarifying that the measurement of a sign's size does not include the trim.
* Changing the measurement of a sign's height from 50 feet above ground to 50 feet above the adjoining pavement.
* Allowing all adjoining land uses to request a waiver on the distance separation requirement.
* Adding that all sign structures must be constructed of steel on a single pole.
* Allowing commissioners to grant a variance to all sections of the ordinance.
Currently the ordinance requires a 500-foot separation between the signs and schools and churches and other public institutions and that the signs be 300 feet from homes.
Modifying that part of the ordinance was not included in the original plans to change the ordinance, Price said.
Price said commissioners were polled and most agreed to a 300-foot separation between the signs and all uses.
Commissioner Ray Mayo voiced concern about the 300 feet.
"I just want to go on record that as far as I am concerned that I voted against the 300 feet because I feel like the 500 is a good number," Mayo said. "Plus, anyone can apply for a variance to the 500 feet.
"I am still in favor of 500 instead of 300 for churches, schools and public institutions."
The approval followed a brief public hearing.
Robert Moore, of Winterville, who owns an outdoor advertising company, was the only person to speak during the public hearing.
"I concur that the 750-foot spacing would be much better than the 500 feet and the 300 feet on the freeway and non-freeway routes," he said.