§ 67-4. Definitions.
Words and phrases used in this chapter shall have the meanings set forth in this section. Words and phrases not defined in this section, but defined in the Paulding County Zoning Ordinance or Paulding County Development Regulations, shall be given the meanings set forth in such ordinances. All other words and phrases shall be given their common, ordinary meaning, unless the context clearly requires otherwise. Section headings or captions are for reference purposes only and shall not be used in the interpretation of this chapter.
Abandoned sign means any sign that contains or exhibits broken panels, visible rust, visible rot, damaged support structures, or missing letters or which is otherwise dilapidated, unsightly, or unkept, and for which no person accepts maintenance responsibility. Also, any sign associated with a business that has ceased operations for 30 days or more.
Animated sign means any sign, or part of a sign, that uses any movement or change of lighting or color to depict action or create a special effect or scene.
Applicant means a business, company, person, or owner who formally applies for a sign review application (SRA), a temporary sign review application (TRSA), billboard review application (BRA) for Paulding County.
Audible sign means any sign which emits a sound.
Awning/canopy sign means any sign that is part of, or attached to, an awning, canopy or other fabric, plastic or structural protective cover over a door, entrance, window, or outdoor service area. A marquee is not a canopy.
Banner means a sign other than a flag with or without characters, letters, illustrations or ornamentation applied to cloth, paper, plastic, or fabric that is intended to be hung either with a frame or without a frame. Neither flags nor canopy signs are considered banners.
Beacon means any light with one or more beams directed into the atmosphere or directed at one or more points not on the same lot as the light source; also, any light with one or more beams that rotate or more.
Bootleg sign means sign, placard, poster, card, banner, or other indication of the interests of any person, group, business, or organization on any post, pole, fence, or tree, including, but not limited to, light and telephone poles, on any street, sidewalk, thoroughfare, or public right-of-way other than signs erected or caused to be erected by Paulding County.
Billboard means an off-premise, freestanding sign with an area of more than 120 square feet and not larger than 672 square feet.
Billboard review application (BRA) means application provided by county to review proposed signs for compliance to this chapter.
Changeable copy sign means any sign that incorporates changing lights, lettering, or images to form a sign message or messages, whether such changes are accomplished electronically or manually. Any graphics and messages shall not change more than one time per minute.
Director means the director of the department of the community development, or his or her designee for a particular purpose.
Directory sign means a single sign for multiple businesses, offices, professionals, industries, or other entities located within a planned center.
Drive-through/drive-in facility means a location where products and/or services are distributed to, or business is transacted with, a person seated in a motor vehicle.
Electronic sign means a sign whose message may be changed at intervals by computer controller, microprocessor controller, or by remote control, and whose message is displayed through the use of LED, LCD, plasma, or other similar type panels or screens, including devices known as commercial electronic message signs and similar devices.
Entry wall sign means any single faced sign attached to or erected and confined within the limits of an exterior wall generally along the perimeter of a development.
Fall zone means an area equal to 133 percent of the height of the structure in every direction.
Festoon includes, pennants, flags, banner, streamers, inflatable devices, string so lights, figures/characters or other similar device.
Flag means any fabric or bunting containing colors, patterns, or symbols used as a symbol of a government, entity, or other organization.
Flashing sign means a sign, the illumination of which is not kept constant in intensity at all times when in use and which exhibits marked changes in lighting effects.
Gateway sign means a sign approved by the director of the Paulding County DOT placed or constructed wholly or partially within right-of-way at key entry points to Paulding County, established communities, and other county facilities. These signs are specifically to provide unique identity and distinct characteristics of the county, community or public facility with an overall common theme.
Home occupation sign means a sign for an approved home occupation on a residential parcel of land, with advertising for services or products legally offered on the premises where the sign is located.
Illuminated sign, external means a sign illuminated by an external light source. Such source cannot be a device that changes color, flashes, or alternates.
Illuminated sign, internal means a sign illuminated by an internal light source. Such source cannot be a device that changes color, flashes, or alternates.
Instructional signs means a sign used to give direction or instruction to the public, such as, but not limited to "enter," "exit," "no parking," "drive through," "rest rooms," and so forth. Instructional signs shall be a monument sign with a sign face not to exceed four square feet in size and three feet in height.
Kiosk sign means a free-standing and multiple sided structure owned by the county and located in public rights-of-way that displays directional information to residential and commercial developments.
LED sign means an electronically controlled sign utilizing light-emitting diodes to form some or all of the sign message.
Marquee, marquee sign means any permanent roof-like structure projecting beyond a building or extending along and projecting beyond the wall of the building, generally designed and constructed to provide protection from the weather.
Menu sign means a sign or sign structure which is fully enclosed or otherwise protected from the elements, including, but not limited to, a box, shadow box, or cabinet, attached to a wall, or freestanding, which is used generally for the purpose of displaying restaurant menus or announcements of activities within the establishment for which the menu or announcement is displayed. A menu display may be used for a restaurant without drive-through service and for transient lodging facilities which have restaurant facilities open to the general public in addition to the registered guests.
Mobile sign means a sign which is attached to, mounted on, pasted on, painted or drawn on any vehicle (whether motorized or drawn), which is placed, parked or maintained at one particular location for the express purpose and intent of promotion.
Monument sign means a freestanding sign mounted directly upon the ground and not attached to or a part of or supported by a building and designed in such a manner that the base of the sign face is flush with the supporting solid base which is flush with the ground. The base shall be at least as wide as the sign.
Moving sign means a sign which revolved, rotates, swings, undulates, or otherwise attracts attention through the structural movement of parts.
Multi-tenant means one of more buildings, located on a single premise, containing two or more separate and distinct individual establishments, which occupy separate portions of the building and which are physically separated from each other by walls.
Off-premise sign means a sign which identifies, advertises, or promotes a product, service, person, place activity, event, idea or any other thing located or obtainable elsewhere other than the lot where such sign is located and not principally sold on the lot on which it is located.
On-premise sign means a sign which identifies advertises or promotes a product, service, person, place, activity, event, idea or any other thing located or obtainable on or at the lot where such sign is located.
Out-of-store marketing device means an out-of-store marketing device is any facility or equipment which is located outside of a primary building on a site zoned for non-residential uses, which is used for the primary purpose of providing a product or service at the device location without the other's or agent's immediate presence, and which is manufactured to include a color, form, graphic illumination, symbol, and/or writing thereon to communicate information regarding the product or service provided thereby to the public. Examples of out-of-sore marketing devices include: fuel pumps, bank ATM units, vending machines, newspaper racks, drink machines, ice boxes, and phone booths. Where signs integral to such out-of-store marketing devices are too small to be legible to the traveling public from rights-of-way and are otherwise non-removable without damage to the equipment's surface, they do not require a SRA and are not subject to overall sign limitations for the lot on which they appear.
Pennant, streamer means any lightweight plastic, fabric, or other material, whether containing a message of any kind or not, suspended from a rope, wire, or string, usually in a series, designed to move in the wind.
Permanent sign means any sign which, when installed, in intended for permanent use. A permanent freestanding sign shall be of a type and construction as not to be easily or readily removed from the lot on which it has been erected.
Permitted means authorized in accordance with the terms of the chapter.
Person means a natural or legal person, including a firm, organization, partnership, trust, or corporation.
Portable sign means a sign which is not permanently affixed to the ground or to a structure, including, but not limited to, signs on trailers or signs mounted or painted on vehicles which are parked in such a manner as to serve the purpose of a sign.
Principal building means the building in which the principal use of the lot is conducted. Non-residential lots with multiple principal uses may have multiple principal buildings, but storage buildings, garages, and other structures with clear accessory uses shall not be considered principal buildings.
Projecting sign means any sign which is projected from the wall of a building or structure.
Public sign means any sign erected by or caused to be erected by a governmental entity including kiosk directional signs through Paulding County Kiosk Sign Program, public utility, or railroad and gateway signs.
Roof sign means any sign erected and constructed wholly on and over the roof of a building, or supported by the roof structure.
Sign means any device, fixture, placard, or structure affixed to, supported by, or suspended by a stationary object, building or the ground that uses any color, form, graphic illumination, symbol, or writing to communicate information of any kind to the public.
Sign face means that part of a sign that is or can be used for advertising purposes.
Signs during vacancy means signs permitted for developments with vacant lots, units, and/or tenant spaces.
Sign review application (SRA) means application provided by the county to review proposed signs for compliance to this chapter.
Standard informational sign means a sign with an area of not greater than four square feet, with a sign face made for short term use, containing no reflecting elements, flags, or projections and which, when erect, stands at a height not greater than three feet and is mounted on a stake or metal frame with a thickness or diameter not greater than one and one-half inches. Off-premise standard informational signs are prohibited. Permits are not required.
Suspended sign means a sign which is suspended from an eave or soffit of a building. (Must provide eight or more feet of ground clearance.)
Temporary sign means any sign that is not permanently mounted.
Temporary sign review application (TSRA) means application provided by county to review proposed temporary signs for compliance to this chapter.
Tri-vision sign means a sign designed with a series of triangular slats that mechanically rotate in sequence with one another to show three different sign messages in rotation.
Wall sign means any sign attached parallel to a wall, painted, on the wall surface or erected and confined within the limits of an outside wall of any building or structure, which is supported by such wall or building and which displays only one sign surface. No wall sign shall extend more than 12 inches from any wall, building, or structure.
Window sign means any sign that is placed inside a window or upon the window panes or glass, either inside or outside the building, and is visible from the exterior of the structure.
Zoning ordinance. Zoning ordinance shall refer to the Paulding County Zoning Ordinance, as amended.
(Res. No. 17-37, § 4 (Exh. A), 11-14-2017)