Planner details zoning amendment to drop 10,000-sq-ft cap and cut sign limits to 150 sq ft

James Temple Jr. outlined proposed amendments to the Sevier County zoning resolution during the Nov. 20 commission meeting, and commissioners voted to adopt the changes.

Temple said the first change removes a current 10,000-square-foot cap on small-business buildings. "Section one will eliminate size limits currently in place and focus more on size limit based on the size of property and parking needed," he said, adding that retailers such as Dollar General typically require buildings around 12,000 square feet.

The second change clarifies and tightens language on off-premise signage. Temple said the county will remove confusing references to Tennessee Department of Transportation processes and instead state that signage is not allowed on property that does not have a business on the property or does not advertise activity on that property. Temple also said the proposed amendment reduces the maximum allowable sign area from 300 square feet to 150 square feet, aligning the county with sign-size limits used across local municipalities.

Temple noted a correction to a provision that had inadvertently permitted two signs at the entrance to a commercial or residential planned-unit development; the amendment reverts that to a single permitted entrance sign, with allowances adjusted based on road classification and property size.

Commissioner Mike Chambers asked whether rules already existed regarding off-premise signs. Temple replied that an amendment in 2019 prohibited off-premise signs; he said he was not aware of many signs erected before that date. The commission moved and approved the zoning-resolution amendment (Resolution 2023-11-02) by roll call vote, 21 yes, 4 absent.

The planning staff will produce more detailed sign-section language for the county ordinance and return the revised text to the commission as part of the implementation process.