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Design Review Board

Level 1: Sign

4-E-17-DT

Installation of a wall sign above the storefront and two projecting signs. The business will be located on the north (left) side of the Gay Street elevation.

Wall sign: The wall sign will be located on the sign board, between the storefront transom and the second story windows. The sign is 1'-4" tall by 21'-5.625" wide (28.63 square feet) and will be constructed as individual channel letters that will each be attached flush to the sign board. Each letter will have acrylic faces and internal illumination.

Projecting signs: There will be two projecting signs, one located to the north (left) of the wall sign and one will be located at the Gay Street & Clinch Avenue corner of the building. Each sign will be 2'-0" in diameter (3.14 square feet) with acrylic faces and internal illumination. The signs will be mounted using a metal mounting plate and tube supports (or similar for the corner sign). The sign at the Gay Street & Clinch Avenue corner of the building will project at a 45 degree angle.

Location
530 S Gay St
Applicant Request
Installation of a wall sign above the storefront and two projecting signs. The business will be located on the north (left) side of the Gay Street elevation.

Wall sign: The wall sign will be located on the sign board, between the storefront transom and the second story windows. The sign is 1'-4" tall by 21'-5.625" wide (28.63 square feet) and will be constructed as individual channel letters that will each be attached flush to the sign board. Each letter will have acrylic faces and internal illumination.

Projecting signs: There will be two projecting signs, one located to the north (left) of the wall sign and one will be located at the Gay Street & Clinch Avenue corner of the building. Each sign will be 2'-0" in diameter (3.14 square feet) with acrylic faces and internal illumination. The signs will be mounted using a metal mounting plate and tube supports (or similar for the corner sign). The sign at the Gay Street & Clinch Avenue corner of the building will project at a 45 degree angle.
Staff Comments
This building is within the Gay Street Commercial National Register Historic District, so the Historic Resources section of the guidelines apply. The guidelines recommend non-illuminated signs in national register districts. All of the proposed signs have illuminated letters and graphics. Staff is recommending that the wall sign be non-illuminated. In a national register historic district, the board had not previously approved an internally illuminated wall sign on the sign board. The Regions Bank wall sign on the Miller's Building does have internal illumination, however, that was approved by the Historic Zoning Commission. Since the Miller's Building is not directly associated with a district which has guidelines, such as the Market Square Historic District, there are no specific guidelines to provide guidance for what type of signage is appropriate.

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.

Section 2.B.1. (RECOMMENDED SIGNS)
These recommendations for signs in the traditional grid district recognize that certain types of signs are more pedestrian-friendly and should be encouraged within the grid district.
GUIDELINES:
1a. Wall signs on sign boards that are above a transom or first story and mounted flush to the building façade.
1b. Projecting signs of modest size (9 square feet, maximum); a larger sign must be approved by the board.
Applicant

Design Innovation Architects

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