The Cookeville Board of Zoning Appeals rejected a request Thursday to increase the height of directional signs for a new South Jefferson Avenue gas station due to traffic safety concerns.
City Planner Chris Phillips said the request involved four signs at the proposed new Speedway location, next to the old Putnam County Fairgrounds. The petitioner sought to install signs standing 4 feet 3 inches tall, exceeding the city’s 3-foot height limit for directional signage.
“Sign heights over 3 feet can obstruct visibility of oncoming traffic,” Phillips said. “The variance request to increase the sign height by 15 inches constitutes a 42 percent variance request.”
Phillips said the signs were intended to be placed at the South Jefferson Avenue entrance and along private access drives on the eastern and western property boundaries. Board members expressed concern that the increased height would create hazards for drivers attempting to navigate the busy commercial area.
“So if you’re making a right turn on red pulling out of the Speedway, it’d be – it could trouble – it could obstruct your visibility,” an official said. “That’s what those sign location requirements are there for, is you know, first of all, it’s like safety, to make sure nobody’s obstructing visibility when they’re trying to pull in and out.”
The board also addressed the timeline of the 7-Eleven rebranding project, noting that the original building permit had expired because the company did not begin work for an extended period. Officials said the delay was likely due to corporate-wide rebranding efforts following 7-Eleven’s acquisition of Speedway.