CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The City Council is considering changes to the electronic sign regulations in the Madison Street Urban Design Overlay District, as well as city-wide. An ordinance was also brought forward at their executive session meeting last week that would address lighting updates across the city. 

Regional Planning Commission Director Jeffrey Tyndall told the council Thursday that this has been a long time coming, seeing that the process began in December 2023. “Then, we paused it while we did the Fort Campbell (Boulevard) and Tiny Town (Road) overlays, because it would apply to these areas,” he said. “Back in December 2023, the Common Design Review Board was asked to approve an LED digital reader board exemption on Madison Street.

“Well, Madison Street doesn’t allow that currently. It has not allowed any LED signs that aren’t government owned, outside those grandfathered in in the district. The board denied it but said they’d like to look into whether or not it was permissible to allow schools and churches to have them. Shortly thereafter, the businesses also took (exception) to some signs that were put up recently by non-private entities,” he said.

What is an electronic message center?

The Planning Commission voted to initiate that ordinance to look at what can they do to allow electronic message centers for all businesses on Madison Street.

“What is an electronic message center? It’s an LED sign that provides words, text, pictures, and they do have opportunities to move and have motion, and they can change frequently,” Tyndall said. “We have a lot in the city already, and this ordinance originally started with three main parts. The Planning Commission split the question. … And they voted to defer one of the sections to next month, so hopefully I’ll be bringing in the rest of this next month. What is before you today, is the allowance of electronic message centers in the Madison Street subdistrict, as well as the Tiny Town and Fort Campbell districts, up to 50% of their approved signage. On Madison Street, you get a 50-(square)-foot, freestanding sign; you could have up to 25 (square) feet as an electronic message center, then 25 (square) feet of other sign.”

Tyndall said the maximum height for the example can only be 20 feet tall.

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“A lot of this plays off of the second reading of the ordinance for Tiny Town and Fort Campbell Boulevard. That allows 100 square feet, so you could have 50 square feet of an electronic message center, with 50 feet of static regular sign. If you chose to do a monument sign, that can only be 30 square feet and 4 feet tall. We allow 60% of that, or 18 square feet could be electronic message center, with 12 feet being the name of the business or the name of the strip center or whatever is there.”

Electronic message centers on Madison Street

Tyndall said that owners of changeable copy signs on Madison Street will receive the opportunity to convert their signage to electronic message centers as long as they aren’t bigger than the existing signs, and they are less than 25 square feet. “It gives those opportunities to some of those churches and some of the businesses that have those copy signs,” he said.

Councilperson Stacey Streetman said she is in favor of each section being proposed this month and explained some of the difficulty for businesses managing changeable copy signs.

“I was initially reached out to from one of the churches on Madison Street. Most of the people that work there are older individuals. Them having to try and climb up on a ladder to be able to change the letters on the sign is obviously a difficulty for them. Allowing these LED signs will essentially modernize what you have available on Madison Street. Then, as referenced, there are a couple of government signs along Madison Street. Once those went up, I started also hearing from business owners wanting to be able to do the same thing.”

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The last part of the ordinance deals with site lighting on properties that have parking lighting, security lighting, or advertising lighting, Tyndall said. “It should be directed downward and not cast light pollution on other properties. It can’t go into the right-of-way, and it shouldn’t strobe, chase or flash.”

City working without electronic sign rules

The section that was deferred dealt with citywide regulations on electronic message centers, Tyndall said. He gave a preview of next month by saying that when the city first allowed the use of electronic message centers back in the 1990s and early 2000s, no rules were put into place, so there’s currently no rules regulating electronic message centers within city limits.

He then explained that the third section was deferred to allow the RPC time to continue to work with local businesses as they figure out the remaining details.

“So, we can work a little longer with the businesses on just how long does it get to animate, how long does it have to pause, things everyone is in agreement with. It has to dim at night, dim in bad weather,” said Tyndall. He added that the RPC has gone through a list of 12 points, with only a few needing additional clarification.

What’s next for City Council

The City Council will next meet on Thursday, Aug. 7, to vote on the proposals.

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