Are LED Signs Allowed in Blue Ridge, Fannin County, Georgia? A Guide to Permits, Sizes, and Zoning
EMC Sign Allowed?
✅ Yes. The ordinance explicitly includes a definition for “sign, electronic message board”, signifying allowance under some conditions.
Since there is no publicly located section in the excerpt stating they are prohibited in all zones, we infer they are allowed at least as a permitted sign type (or perhaps with conditions/permit).
If you wish to confirm if a variance or conditional use process exists specifically for EMCs in certain zones, you would review the full “Sign, Electronic Message Board” regulation section in the code or contact the Planning & Zoning Department of Blue Ridge.
🔗 Full Ordinance – City of Blue Ridge Sign Code
🔗 Zoning & Parcel View – City of Blue Ridge Zoning & Parcel View
EMC Sign Summary Table
Since the full detailed standards (zoning districts, area, height, off‐premise, ROW, etc.) are not fully available in the excerpt found, this table will include what we do know, and flag unknowns. You may need to fill in the blanks once you access the full ordinance text.
| Feature | Answer |
|---|---|
| Zoning districts that allow EMCs | Unknown – specific zoning districts not found in the public excerpt |
| EMC sign styles allowed | Freestanding (per definition) |
| Off‐premise EMCs allowed | Unknown – ❌ no mention in the excerpt |
| EMCs allowed in the public right‐of‐way | Unknown – ❌ not specified in excerpt |
| Minimum setback required | Unknown – ❌ no specific setback for EMCs in excerpt |
| Use restrictions | EMC defined as freestanding sign and changing lights; full use restrictions (commercial, institutional etc) not found in excerpt |
Zoning District Overview
The city’s Code of Ordinances contains a sign definitions section (including the EMC definition) as part of its “Sign, electronic message board” regulation.
A map of zoning for the City of Blue Ridge is available via the “Zoning Map / Sign Permit” page.
Note: We do not have a publicly available full list of all commercial, industrial, residential zoning districts in Blue Ridge from the excerpt at hand. You may access the city’s zoning map or full ordinance for a complete list.
Zoning-Specific Standards
Because the public excerpt does not include full tables of zoning‐by‐zoning standards for EMC signs, you will likely need to access the municipal code document and extract these tables. For now, I cannot produce the full breakdown. What is available:
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The definition section of the ordinance identifies EMC as a freestanding sign type capable of changing message or graphics.
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The city’s sign permit page instructs applicants to use the Sign Permit Application and submit via the Tax & Licensing Clerk.
If you’d like, I can attempt to retrieve the specific zoning district tables from the full code and provide the detailed tables for you.
Permit Filing Requirements
From the city’s site:
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The City of Blue Ridge Planning & Zoning Department lists a Sign Permit Application form for download.
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The site does not list publicly (in the portion we saw) the permit fee for EMC or sign permits; you will want to contact the city directly for the current fee schedule.
Tip: When submitting for a freestanding EMC sign, include: site plan, specification of the electronic message component, setback from property line, electrical permit (if required), zoning verification, etc. The city may require additional documentation since EMCs include changing graphics.
Local Project Examples (Optional)
I did not locate publicly listed project examples of EMC installations in Blue Ridge in the materials reviewed. You may consider contacting local sign contractors who work in Blue Ridge / Fannin County to identify recent installations, or check the city’s building permit logs.
Full Ordinance Text (Verbatim)
Excerpt from the city code definitions:
“Sign, electronic message board, means a freestanding sign that uses changing lights, regardless of type, to form written or graphic messages wherein the sequence of messages, graphics and the rate of change is electronically programmed and can be modified by electronic processes.”
External References
🗺️ Blue Ridge Zoning & Parcel View
📘 Blue Ridge Zoning Sign Code
📝 Permit Application Portal