At the MPC/DRC meeting this past week (July 16, 2020) The Lake District sign package was once again voted down by the Municipal Planning Committee led by Mayor Mike Cunningham. The sign package for the $300 million dollar mixed-used development at I-40 and Canada Rd was originally submitted for approval early in 2020.
Mayor Cunningham and former Mayor Scott Carmichael, whom he appointed to the all volunteer board, shared a concern about the legality of whether MPC/DRC members were allowed to approve sign plan elements that vary from the general requirements of the City Sign Ordinance. Legal counsel for both the city and the state via MTAS, the Municipal Technical Advisory Service, have already advised the committee they do have the authority to make a ruling approving the sign package. Mr. Carmichael said he did not agree based on what he’s been told by his own private sources.
Commissioner Wesley Wright, the BOC liaison to the all volunteer MPC board which is appointed by the Mayor, has argued in favor of The Lake District, the sign package and why it’s important to the success of the project. Mr. Wright said, “The Lake District sign package has been in deliberation for many months now in the MPC meetings. The board continues to stall the sign project when Mr. Carmichael commented he had not heard anything different from his source that he claims contradicts the initial legal opinion given to the MPC board by both MTAS and our own city attorney.”
Commissioner Wright voted to approve the sign package but Mayor Cunningham and the MPC committee easily voted it down 5-2.
Lakeland Currents has reached out to the developers of The Lake District about next steps but has not received a comment back as of the writing of this story.
