Design Review Board

Level 1: Sign

9-E-20-DT

Applicant Request

Proposed projecting sign for additional tenant at 522 S. Gay Street. Projecting sign is a 48" wide by 24" tall by 1.5" thick rectangle made of steel with acrylic punch-through letters. Letters, microphone outline, and square outline around text will feature multi-colored LED internal illumination. The sign will be attached to the existing brick masonry wall above the storefront transom by a 2" x 2" steel tubing. The bottom of the sign will be 11'-6" above the sidewalk level.

Site Info

COMMENTS
522 S. Gay Street is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing resource to the Gay Street Historic District, so the Historic Resources section of the guidelines applies. The proposed sign meets the design guidelines for signage on historic buildings as it measures 8 square feet total, and is appropriately located off the front of the building, above the multi-light storefront transom windows and below the second-story windows. No architectural details or features are altered by the placement of the sign.

While internal illumination is not recommended in the guidelines, the Board has approved internal illumination that is limited to push-through letters and individual elements of the sign on a case-by-case basis. Internal illumination on this sign is limited to the letters, the microphone outline, and the square outline.

APPLICABLE DESIGN GUIDELINES: Downtown Knoxville Design Guidelines
SECTION C. HISTORIC RESOURCES

Commercial establishments need to advertise. However, advertising signs should be effective and appropriate to historic resources without contributing to visual clutter. Primary concerns are a sign's location, size, material, and illumination.

7. RECOMMENDED SIGNS
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.