Council Could Allow Churches, Schools to Use LED Signs

What began as a disagreement on whether to allow churches to have digital-LED signs led to an entire task force dedicated to revamping Metro’s sign laws. Two bills resulting eight-months of meetings are up tonight, one of which would allow the digital message boards in residential areas.

Councilman Charlie Tygard says the signs, with their flashing messages, have to go dark between 10 pm and 6 am. He says most churches have a base zoning of residential even if they’re in busy areas and Tygard says that’s where organizations want to use them.

“So that provision is still there restricting it to those type of major, heavily traveled, so you wouldn’t see these signs deep into neighborhoods.”

Tygard’s other bill would expand who’s on the hook for all those paper flyers posted on telephone poles or any other place in the public right-of-way. Currently, it’s hard to fine bands or clubs for posting the signs because it may have been the show’s promoter or other hired person who put them up. Under the proposed bill, anyone who benefits from the advertised event could be fined $50 per sign. In Music City, that could be the band, the club or the promoter.

Council members will also be taking up a bill allowing the city to spend up to $75 million to purchase land for the new downtown convention center. Not all members are completely on board with the project yet, but At-Large Council Lady Megan Barry says this is just a step in the process.

“We’re still learning about what the financing will look like, what the impact will be and what the total cost is, and I think until we have a total cost idea nailed down, then that’s when we can appropriately vote on a convention center.”

The city has estimated it will cost about $635 million to build the facility. The land acquisition bill passed out of budget and finance committee yesterday after facing lots of questions and several attempts at amending it. The bill is on the second of three readings tonight.