Oak Ridge Today

City asked to strike balance between businesses, community over electronic signs

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Misty Robbins at Electronic Signs Public Hearing

Misty Robbins, right, of Snappy Tomato Pizza, said the restaurant could buy an electronic sign but wants to see what new regulations might be issued to govern them.

Business owners call them effective, a great way to get out their messages.

But a few residents call them distracting and offensive, at least in some cases.

Caught in the middle are Oak Ridge officials. They are trying to write new regulations for the electronic signs, considering how to govern brightness, display times, and transitions between messages.

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City Council to discuss electronic signs, economic development

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Rivers Total Car Care Electronic Sign

Business owners with electronic signs, including Toney Stevens of Rivers Total Car Care in Oak Ridge, objected to a letter they received in December asking them to fix sign ordinance code violations. Since then, the violation notices have been canceled, and the Oak Ridge City Council will discuss the electronic sign ordinance in a work session tonight.

The Oak Ridge City Council will review the city’s electronic reader board sign ordinance during a work session at 7 p.m. today.

The meeting will also include a presentation and report on the city’s economic development programs and possible changes in how the city supports new jobs and companies, improves retail opportunities, and enhances housing improvements.

Changes to the city’s electronic sign ordinance were proposed late last year, but they were pulled from a December meeting of the Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission agenda after a backlash from business owners.

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