City of Charlotte considering new sign ordinance

Mar 23, 2022

The City of Charlotte is considering the adoption of an updated sign ordinance that would regulate signage at commercial and residential locations throughout the City. The City of Charlotte Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on the proposed ordinance at its meeting on Tuesday, April 5 at 7 p.m. at Charlotte City Hall. After gathering public opinion on the proposed changes, the Commission will make a recommendation on adoption to the Charlotte City Council.

The proposed ordinance is a comprehensive re-write of that portion of the Charlotte Zoning Code, and is intended to make accommodations for modern electric and LED signage, as well as better regulate temporary signage and make all regulations within the ordinance easier to understand an interpret. It also allows for business entities to propose a comprehensive sign plan for their properties that could be approved separately from the other regulatory language in the ordinance. It also provides an opportunity for the preservation of historic signage that may not meet current standards.  The proposed ordinance is also intended to bring local regulations into compliance with a 2014 US Supreme Court judgment prohibiting sign regulations based on their content.

A copy of the proposed ordinance is available for review prior to the hearing at the link below, along with a memo outlining the most significant proposed changes.