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Design Review Board

Level 1: Sign

4-B-19-DT

Installation of a 8.42 sqft projecting sign that has metal faces and halo-illumination. The white letters will stand off the face of the blue background. The sign will have a clearance with the sidewalk of approximately 10' and will be attached to the vertical transom trim above the entrance of the retail space.

Installation of 17 sqft of window signs as shown on the attached plan sheets (9 total). There will be 8 small signs that range from .4 sqft to 1.25 sqft, each of which are on a different window pane. There is one large window sign that is 9.5 sqft located in the upper left corner of the western (left) storefront window.

Location
111 E Jackson Ave
Applicant Request
Installation of a 8.42 sqft projecting sign that has metal faces and halo-illumination. The white letters will stand off the face of the blue background. The sign will have a clearance with the sidewalk of approximately 10' and will be attached to the vertical transom trim above the entrance of the retail space.

Installation of 17 sqft of window signs as shown on the attached plan sheets (9 total). There will be 8 small signs that range from .4 sqft to 1.25 sqft, each of which are on a different window pane. There is one large window sign that is 9.5 sqft located in the upper left corner of the western (left) storefront window.
Staff Comments
This building is located within the Southern Terminal and Warehouse (National Register) Historic District, so the Historic Resources section of the guidelines do apply.

The historic resources section of the guidelines recommends that signs be non-illuminated or externally illuminated. The proposed halo-illumination is consistent with previous approvals by the board for signs of this size and location on a building. Staff recommends approval of the projecting sign as proposed.

The guidelines recommend that window signs cover no more than 30 percent of the storefront windows, which has been interpreted by staff as being calculated as the coverage per window pane, not the entire storefront window area. The western (left) storefront window pane on this proposal has a coverage of approximately 45 percent. The total propose window sign area is 13 percent coverage of the total storefront window area, including transoms. The board has the authority to interpret the guidelines and determine if each individual application (proposal) meets the intent of the guidelines, even if it doesn't meet the actual recommendation. If the board chooses to approve the request for window sign coverage as proposed, the board should provide reasoning and how the request is meeting the intent of the guidelines.

Applicable guidelines:

Section 1.C.7. (RECOMMENDED SIGNS)
Commercial establishments need to advertise. However, advertising signs should be effective and appropriate to historic areas without contributing to visual clutter. Primary concerns are a sign's location, size, material, and illumination.
GUIDELINES:
7a. Locate signs above storefront windows, below second-story windows on the sign board, or on the storefront windows themselves (30% is maximum coverage), or off the front of the building as a projecting sign (maximum size: 9 square feet).
7b. Create signs that are proportional to the building where they are located.
7c. Do not light signs internally.
7d. Allow painted signs on building walls in the warehouse area along Jackson Avenue, and in some other locations along Gay Street.
7e. Preserve signs that are historic elements of buildings.
Applicant

Aktalay / Sanders Pace Architecture

Planning Staff
Mike Reynolds
Phone: 865-215-3827
Email: mike.reynolds@knoxplanning.org
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