Tue
Jul 21 2015
12:38 am
Support the Sign Ordinance Revision
By: Knoxgal

Please attend the City Council meeting tonight - July 21 st - at 7 pm. Council will be voting on second reading on the new sign ordinance. They will also be deciding the important issue of the size of sign faces. Reasonable sign heights were decided on first reading on July 7th by a 6-3 vote. Scenic Knoxville wants Council to keep all the amendments passed in April and on July 7th. The Chamber has brought in a lobbyist for the sign industry who is advocating for sign heights and sizes that are outrageously big, and the News Sentinel had an editorial Sunday advising Council to return to the original Task Force proposal. These are terrible ideas that will be detrimental to the future of Knoxville.

If you can't attend, please contact City Council members and ask them to vote to keep all the amendments passed so far and to adopt sign face sizes supported by Scenic Knoxville.

Existing signs will be grandfathered.

Passed on first reading:

35 feet high for property within 500 feet of an interstate interchange
30 feet high for property adjacent to an interstate
20 feet high for property along federally designated highways e.g. Kingston Pike, Chapman Hwy, Asheville Hwy, Broadway, etc)
10 feet for all other roadways

Scenic Knoxville is recommending maximum sign face sizes of 125 sq ft, 100 sq ft, 64 sq ft and 25 sq ft or 60 sq ft for a monument sign.

These sizes are reasonable and are comparable to sizes in many other cities - e.g. Asheville, Charlotte. Maryville. Alcoa. Oak Ridge and Murfreesboro.

Knoxville's landscape is marred by noxious sign clutter. An attractive city is one that's good for its residents, it businesses and its visitors.

Topics:
Joe328's picture

A sign's purpose is to

Submitted by Joe328 on Tue, 2015/07/21 - 6:37am.

A sign's purpose is to deliver a message to the viewer. It should be no larger or taller than necessary to view the message. Glare should also be regulated along with signs. Backlit signs, glaring flood and street lights blind viewers from reading environmentally friendly signs, therefore larger, taller, and brighter signs are needed to overcome the glare.

All signs should be down lit and outdoor lighting should meet dark sky standards. Until we regulate both signs and glare the dispute will continue.

bizgrrl's picture

"Development just stopped at

Submitted by bizgrrl on Thu, 2015/07/23 - 6:05am.

"Development just stopped at the Farragut line because businesses couldn't get the signage they needed," said Ewart, an architect and owner of Dead End BBQ who served five years on the Metropolitan Planning Commission. "When Farragut revised their sign ordinance, development came. Now, we're regressing on our sign ordinance."

City Councilman Nick Pavlis, who with Councilwoman Brenda Palmer were the lone no votes, called its passage ."a serious blow" to business

not in my worst contemplation did I ever dream that they would go down 80 percent to 10-foot signs for a majority of signs in Knoxville, never did I think they would reach that far. It's going to have a huge impact on how people find businesses and businesses attract customers," Knoxville Chamber President and CEO Mike Edwards

OMG! Government is trying to ruin Knoxville. Never will they build another Walmart or restaurant again in the area. Sheesh, ya try to make it a better place to live, then, a few declare the sky is falling.

ArtWagner's picture

Disappointed with Nick Pavlis

Submitted by ArtWagner on Thu, 2015/07/23 - 9:50am.
(in reply to bizgrrl)

Just when I thought it was safe to like Nick Pavlis, he takes this ridiculous stance. I guess a leopard can't change its spots, something that should be remembered if he attempts higher office.

Knoxgal's picture

+1

Submitted by Knoxgal on Sat, 2015/07/25 - 8:36pm.
(in reply to ArtWagner)

+1

R. Neal's picture

He will probably be your next

Submitted by R. Neal on Thu, 2015/07/23 - 10:08am.

He will probably be your next mayor. You could do worse, I suppose.

jbr's picture

With GPS, Mapquest, Google

Submitted by jbr on Thu, 2015/07/23 - 10:38am.

With GPS, Mapquest, Google Maps, etc what is the big deal about having extreme signage? They don't seem necessary.

What is the data on the negative impact of numerous and large signs on property values? I am guessing it is significant. The community might be more more engaged if they realized their net worth took a hit.

Signage can make an area look pretty bad.

I may look later, but I wonder what the sign ordinances are for the 10 wealthiest zip codes in Tennessee?

Tennessee wealthiest zip codes

Williamson County Sign Ordinance

Knoxgal's picture

You are correct.

Submitted by Knoxgal on Sat, 2015/07/25 - 9:03pm.
(in reply to jbr)

Cities with good sign regulation tend to have greater economic prosperity, including higher property values. Every real estate agent in the city should have been lobbying Council to incorporate Scenic Knoxville's suggestions into the original task force proposal. Fortunately, many did, along with over 400 members of the community, including many from the business community.

Primary opposition came from the Chamber which was driven primarily by some developers, owners of fast food restaurants and gas stations - notably Weigels and Pilot. Remember that when you buy gas. The bigger the sign the cheaper goods.

This is about having a vision for the city. Somehow, I don't think fast food restaurants and gas stations should be defining this vision. The fact is, an attractive city is good for business, residents and visitors.

Nick Pavlis was a supporter of Scenic Knoxville in his first term (Brenda Palmer never was) but for whatever reason he decided to support the Chamber all the way this time.

Fortunately, enough members of CC listened to the community. Though not perfect, the new ordinance is a vast improvement over the old ordinance and the proposal that came from the task force. It now includes numerous provisions that will benefit the city both in the near and distant future.

bizgrrl's picture

Sample Florida Land and Community Development Codes

Submitted by bizgrrl on Thu, 2015/07/23 - 12:07pm.

Port Orange, Fl, in Volusia County, is working to "ensure the protection and preservation of the quality of life experienced by residents and visitors."

As is mentioned in the post, Lake Mary, FL, provides another good example of commercial development restrictions. In more recent trips to Florida, it appears Palm Coast, FL, is also successful in these efforts.

Volusia County has a per capita income of nearly $25,000. Knox County has a per capita income of just over $27,000. It is possible that Port Orange, FL, Lake Mary, FL, and Palm Coast, Fl, have higher per capita incomes than the City of Knoxville. Either way, it is nice to see representatives of the City of Knoxville working to bring us a better environment.

fischbobber's picture

Signs

Submitted by fischbobber on Thu, 2015/07/23 - 3:21pm.

Hilton Head businesses seem to be doing O.K. No signs, lots of bike paths. Perhaps we could learn something from them.

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