Knoxville City Council last year approved a new hotel off Pratt Road (just off Merchants Road near where it and Cedar Lane meet)
The Property is just Weeks from completion and welcoming it’s first guests. As they were finishing, they went to the Board of Zoning Appeals and got approved for a variance to place a 62.6 square foot wall sign instead of the 24 foot sign and were approved for a 10 foot instead of a 6 foot monument sign.
Well then Scenic Knoxville appealed the BZA decision and went to Council. Last Tuesday, Seven Council Members voted to reject BZA’s decision, One Council Member votes NOT to reject it and Councilwoman Gwen McKenzie was absent.
The councils vote reverted this new City business to the original size signs. The primary reason is that the hotel is blocked from the Existing Ingles Shopping Center.
See the little bit of white on top of the Ingles building, it could be mistaken for a HVAC facade.
That is what is there, behind the shopping center
Voting against the business was Vice Mayor Finbarr Saunders, Council persons Marshall Stair, George Wallace, Lauren Rider, Stephanie Welch, Andrew Roberto and Mark Campen.
Voting for the Business was Seema Singh Perez
Being Absent was Gwen McKenzie.
Lets ensure this Summers City Council and Mayors races focus on candidates that are pro business.
Yet again nothing is done to help businesses prosper which in turn pushes businesses to locate other areas where the city and business owners can work together to bring revenue to the city/town and the business owner. Can’t compete when you are not allowed to advertise your location of services! I definitely will make notations and voice my concerns to contacts/friends/business owners, etc. on who are the ones blocking this sign /business advertisement so that we can vote candidates In who are pro business.