With final sign vote comes amendments
A newly revised Town sign ordinance received final approval in a 4-1 vote during Farragut Board of Mayor and Aldermen’s meeting Thursday, Feb. 23.
After a contested discussion on Feb. 9, the vote came quickly with Alderman David White casting the lone dissenting vote while Mayor Ron Williams, Vice Mayor Louise Povlin and Aldermen Scott Meyer and Drew Burnette voting to pass the revised ordinance.
Sign amendments
Assistant Community Development director Bart Hose reminded the Board rather than having to change a number of places in the sign ordinance, his staff and the Visual Resources Review Board opted to create a “cleaner” revised document and replace that document with the old ordinance.
The amendments include:
• The re-introduction of “General Occupant Signs” as a permitted type of sign. “This sign type includes small wall plaques and similar informational signs located around the entrances to buildings,” Hose said.
• Changes to the provisions for “Peripheral Accessory Signs” to allow for a second such sign along driveway entrances.
“Business owners often looked to utilize these accessory signs for entrance and exit signs and the current limitation of one per access street proved impractical for this use,” he said.
• Providing for “General Occupant Signs” and the updated standards for “Peripheral Accessory Signs” at residential subdivision clubhouses and similar HOA-controlled recreation facilities.
An apology, new protocol
During the Mayor’s Report, Williams apologized for “what happened at the Feb. 9 board meeting” concerning a spirited exchange between White and Meyer on meeting procedures.
“I admit I had been somewhat lax in my past meeting question-and-answer procedures,” the mayor added. “During my term, and for the past 42 years, for that matter, it has not been a problem until that particular meeting.”
As such, he read new protocol in how question-and-answer sessions will be conducted.
