After months of delays and rejections by the volunteer DRC board (Design Review Committee, appointed and led by Mayor Mike Cunningham) Lake District developer Yehuda Netanel won approval for his signs after appealing to the Board of Commissioners. The meeting took place last evening, August 13, at City Hall. The signage will be placed strategically throughout the project and will include water feature signage, backlit signage, metal medallion signage embedded in sidewalks, directional signage and more.
Mr. Netanel attended the meeting personally, along with Maureen Yarborough, owner and founder of Sign Matters, Inc. Sign Matters was hired to handle the design package for the 300 million dollar development at I-40 and Canada Rd. At a previous DRC meeting, Ms. Yarborough was visibly upset after presenting the package when Mayor Cunningham didn’t approve of the signs and told her he and Yehuda would handle it as “businessmen.” Ms. Yarborough started the women owed business in 2005 and employs 20 people according to her website. When reviewing the sign package again last evening Vice Mayor Josh Roman spoke highly of the signs and apologized to Ms. Yarborough for how she was treated at the previous DRC meetings and hoped the Mayor would offer an apology. Mr. Cunningham did indeed apologize saying, “I apologize for my tone at the first meeting” but reiterated he was simply having a “businessman” talk with Mr. Netanel and it was not meant for her.
After the apology by the Mayor, Ms. Yarborough went thru the presentation once again reminding the board, “we’ve done a lot of work to showcase a development Lakeland has not seen.” She also stressed the signs are more like artwork and would be a prominent point in Lakeland. She reminded the board that Mr. Netanel “has gone to a lot of expense to make the property look special.”
Why Was The Sign Package Rejected Initially?
The crux of the rejection, according to Mayor Cunningham and Commissioner Richard Gonzales, was the DRC’s authority to approve a sign package that differed from city ordinances. The state municipal technical advisory service (MTAS, University of Tennessee) and the city attorney previously advised the Mayor and the DRC board they did indeed have the authority to approve the signs. However, former Mayor Scott Carmichael, who was appointed to the DRC board by Mr. Cunningham, said his sources didn’t agree with MTAS and the city attorney. Mr. Carmichael has never disclosed who those sources might be.
Commissioner Gonzales, who voted last evening to reject The Lake District sign package argued, “In my book, if it’s prohibited, then it’s prohibited…that’s where I’m at on this” and added, “there are 18 signs (in this package) that are prohibited.” Later in the exchange, Mr. Netanel responded to Mr. Gonzales saying, “you can’t create something special with a bunch of garage sale signs.” Commissioner Wesley Wright, who’s been a staunch supporter of the development and the sign package, reminded Mr. Gonzales The Lake District is a planned developed (PD) and signs can differ from standard city ordinances if the body believes it’s good for business development. He reminded him, “it’s PD specific and that’s the way you control it.”
In a statement released to the media this morning, Ms. Yarborough was relieved and excited saying, “This signage is artwork. It will be like looking at sculptures and the intent was to do something that hasn’t been done around Memphis.”
