Commissioners tweak monument sign rules to allow design flexibility, reduce masonry requirement

The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners approved a revision to the county's sign ordinance on Nov. 18 that changes the definition of a monument sign to provide design flexibility and reduce the requirement that masonry be installed on all four sides of a sign.

Planning staff explained the amendment would permit sign copy areas to be framed and to include a limited gap (up to six inches between copy area and frame) or to be anchored on one or more sides rather than requiring masonry on all sides. The proposed language retains a material requirement for the base and piers but removes the older "tombstone" illustration and adds a requirement that copy areas be secured to prevent movement.

Commissioners discussed the exact framing language and agreed to revise the sentence that begins with the six‑inch frame requirement so it reads, in effect, that a minimum 6‑inch frame shall be provided around all sides of the copy area with no more than a 6‑inch space between the copy area and the frame; staff agreed to refine the language as needed for the final ordinance wording. The board approved the change unanimously.