Agenda - 10-3-16 Reg. Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

0�3 MEMORAND UM TO: Lee County Board of Commissioners John Crumpton, County Manager FROM: Marshall Downey, Director Sanford/Lee Co. Planning & Development DATE: October 3, 2016 REF: Planning Board recommendation regarding text amendments to the Unified Development Ordinance The following text amendments to the UDO were presented to the Board of Commissioners and Planning Board at a joint public hearing on September 19, 2016. The amendments were recommended for adoption by the Joint Planning Commission at their August 3, 2016 meeting. Below is a brief summary of the amendments with the Planning Board's recommendation: PROPOSED AMENDMENT to Article 11 Sign Regulations, Section 11.9 Outdoor Advertising (Billboard) Signs. As stated at the public hearing, planning staff was approached by a Billboard company regarding renovations/replacement of an existing outdoor advertising (billboard) sign located along South Horner Boulevard within the City of Sanford's zoning jurisdiction. New billboards are not allowed in Sanford or Broadway, therefore existing billboards are considered non -conforming (grandfathered) signs. Billboard signs are allowed in Lee County in HC, LI and HI zoning districts with very specific spacing and dimensional limitations. A recent industry trend has been to approach communities with the intent to "modernizing" existing grandfathered billboards. This may include repair in place, or relocate and replace with a new sign and often includes newer digital technology. This is partly based on State law and related NCDOT rules that allow for such modernization. The proposed text amendments will allow existing legal non -conforming billboard signs within the City of Sanford and Town of Broadway to be modernized. In conjunction with this amendment, Article 12, Subsection 12.5.1 Expansion of Nonconforming Structures shall be amended to allow an exception for modernization of billboards in the City of Sanford. The Planning Board voted unanimously to recommend approval of the text amendments as presented at the public hearing. Attached is the draft Ordinance for consideration of adoption.