Knoxville commission denies oversized wall sign for Knollwood bank

The Knoxville Historic Zoning Commission on June 18 denied a permit for a large wall sign at 6501 Kingston Pike, ruling the proposal inconsistent with the Knollwood historic overlay's design standards.

Staff told commissioners the applicant sought a 13.5-foot-by-7.5-foot channel-letter sign totaling about 101 square feet to be placed in the tympanum of the bank building. Staff noted the overlay guidelines cap signs at five feet tall and 40 square feet and said the proposed placement would obscure the building's sculptural fan and other architectural elements. For those reasons staff recommended denial.

Trey Vandy, representing Apex Bank and Tennessee Sign Company, argued the bank faces federal branding standards that limit alternative, horizontally oriented logos and said the company had completed engineering and code work and preferred the larger sign for visibility. “We're asking for, you know, a non-insignificant size variance here,” Vandy said, and offered an alternative, smaller design for the sign band.

Commissioners questioned whether other branding options were available and voiced concern about precedent. One commissioner said the proposed sign was "almost two and a half times the size of what's allowed," warning that approval could set a harmful precedent. A motion to deny the certificate of appropriateness based on staff recommendation was made, seconded and approved by voice vote.

Staff later reminded the applicant that signs meeting design guidelines may be approved administratively and encouraged the applicant to revise the proposal to fit the overlay standards to avoid returning to the commission.

The denial is recorded as certificate 6E25HC; the applicant may revise and resubmit a design that complies with the Knollwood overlay guidelines.