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BZA defers decision on ground sign at 3600 Murfreesboro Pike pending NDOT review
Summary
The Metro Nashville BZA on Sept. 4 deferred consideration of a monument‑sign variance at 3600 Murfreesboro Pike so NDOT can review sight‑line and driveway safety questions and staff can provide clearer, labeled plans.
The Metro Nashville Board of Zoning Appeals deferred action Sept. 4 on a requested variance to locate a monument sign within the city’s 15‑foot right‑of‑way setback at 3600 Murfreesboro Pike, asking staff to obtain a review or comment from the Tennessee Department of Transportation (NDOT) before taking a final vote.
Staff described the proposal (case 2025‑89) as a ground sign to be placed near the Pinhook Road entrance of a new car‑wash site. The sign vendor, Guy Dearman of BoomSign and Lighting, said the applicant originally proposed two monument signs but removed the Murfreesboro Pike face after field testing showed it would be obstructed by guardrails. The current proposal calls for a single monument sign at the Pinhook entrance. Dearman described the sign as approximately 9 feet wide and about 6 feet tall; staff said the code requires a 15‑foot setback from the right‑of‑way and the proposed sign would encroach into that setback by a short distance.
During questioning, several board members said NDOT typically reviews encroachment and sight‑line questions for entrances and exits along state routes and that NDOT had not yet reviewed the sign location. One member said the site plan’s labels were difficult to read and asked for clearer callouts showing the right‑of‑way, proposed sign footprint, and distances. A member also suggested the applicant explore alternate sign designs (taller and narrower, or with directional arrows) that might meet setback requirements while preserving visibility. A nearby pastor who attended said she had received notice about the hearing but that her concerns were unrelated to this application; the board clarified that her property was not affected by the proposed monument sign.
Given the unresolved safety and plan‑clarity questions, the board voted to defer the item and directed staff to transmit the application to NDOT for comment and to bring clarified, labeled plans back to a future agenda. The motion to defer passed on a voice vote; no roll‑call tally was recorded in the transcript.
