Commissioners review proposed amendments to county sign ordinance

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — As authorized by the Board of Commissioners, the Planning and Community Development Department drafted a list of amendments to the Forsyth County Sign Ordinance regarding electronic message boards (EMB) for the Board’s consideration.

Planning Director Michael Chapman presented the proposed amendments at Thursday’s meeting.

EMBs must have a minimum of 100 feet of frontage along an urban divided roadway with a median.

The current ordinance allows EMBs that have a principle use that is either a religious facility, college or university private or parochial school, hospital, military or veteran organization. The proposed change would add assembly hall, meeting hall, auditorium, art gallery, museum, nonprofit club or lodge theater or amphitheater.

In commercial or office districts, currently, EMBs are permitted only for fueling station monument signs where the changeable copy area shall not exceed 46square feet. Under a new proposal, they would be permitted where principle use is either a religious facility, college or university private or parochial school, hospital, military or veteran organization. The proposed change would add assembly hall, meeting hall, auditorium, art gallery, museum, nonprofit club or lodge theater or amphitheater.

In the Castleberry/Bethelview Crossroads Overlay District, EMBs are prohibited.

In the Buford Highway Overlay District, free standing signs where the building size is not over 10,000 square feet are limited to a height of 6′ feet with one sign per property. Where the building size is 10,001 to 50,000 square feet a height of 8 feet is permitted. Where the building size 50,001 to 100,000 a sign height of 10 feet is permitted. Where the building size is 100,000 square or greater, sign height of 12 feet is permitted and two signs per road frontage is permitted.

EMBs or changeable copy signs are currently permitted at fueling stations (one per road frontage). The recommendation would also allow EMB or changeable copy signs where the principle use is either a religious facility, college or university private or parochial school, hospital, military or veteran organization

Commissioner Todd Levent suggested that some county signs may be out of compliance, County Manager Kevin Tanner responded “there are a lot of signs not in compliance.” Commissioner Laura Semanson agreed. “More than you may think,” she said.

The amendments will be the subject of a future public hearing.