October 8, 2019
By: Dwayne Page
When the Smithville Aldermen updated the city’s zoning ordinance earlier this year they did not include regulations for billboard signs.
The ordinance merely defined what a Billboard is “Any sign over 120 square feet in size, generally used for off-premises advertising”.
Since then no new billboards have been erected in the city.
During Monday night’s regular monthly meeting, Mayor Josh Miller, acting on a request from an interested party, asked the aldermen to adopt an ordinance regulating the use of billboards in Smithville. Applicants would have to obtain a building permit and meet with the approval of the city’s building codes inspector.
The proposed ordinance reads as follows:
“Billboards shall only be permitted on Broad Street (US-70) and Congress Boulevard (State Route 56). All Billboards must be located at least 25 feet from all rights-of-ways. The maximum size for a billboard shall be 400 square feet and the maximum height shall be 25 feet. No billboard shall be located within 1,500 linear feet of another billboard on the same side of the street or within 500 feet radius of any other billboard. Digital billboards will only be allowed if displayed messages have no flashing or twinkling lights and if all messages remain displayed for at least six seconds”.
The aldermen gave first reading approval to the new ordinance Monday night and will act on second and final reading at a later meeting.
In other business, the aldermen also accepted a bid from Copeland DRP, LLC of Cookeville for street paving at $89.85 per ton. It was the lowest of the three bids submitted. The other bids were from Tinsley Asphalt, LLC of Tullahoma at $89.96 per ton and Rogers Group, Incorporated of Cookeville for $99.50 per ton.