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A billboard lovely as a tree. Perhaps, unless the billboards fall, I'll never see a tree at all. - Ogden Nash Welcome to Scenic Knoxville! We hope you will enjoy your visit and find something beautiful to see. Scenic Knoxville is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and enhancing the bountiful scenic resources in the Knoxville, Tennessee area. The group is the first local chapter of the statewide organization Scenic Tennessee, and is also affiliated with Scenic America.
The Board of Directors includes local architect Duane Grieve, President; civic-minded individuals who are active in their community such as Lisa Starbuck, Vice President; Joyce Feld, Secretary; Jim deRopp, Treasurer; Marleen Davis, Marsha Grieve, Jay Nevans, Julie Webb, and Gene Burr, a past president of Scenic Tennessee. Scenic Knoxville's first challenge was to help regulate the use of digital billboards in the City of Knoxville. These super-sized bright billboards have been called 'PowerPoint on a Stick' by opponents, and their impact on driver safety has been a key factor in banning the signs in other communities across the nation. Thank you for helping to extend the ban on new billboards in the City of Knoxville to digital billboards! Although we had success in our initial effort to stop digitals in Knoxville, we know the industry will continue to push for them. Further, we have been working on regulation of Electronic Messaging Centers (EMCs) in the city because they are proliferating rapidly and there are many that are illegal or out of compliance with the exisiting regulations. THANK YOU! City Council passed the ban on future EMCs in the City of Knoxville and imposed stricter regulations on exisitng EMCs! City Council is now considering whether to allow an exception to the ban for any development over 100 acres that has a master signage plan, which would allow an EMC of up to 250 sq. ft. Scenic Knoxville agreed to compromise to allow large developments to have an EMC up to 150 sq. ft., so we oppose the new regulation. City Council will be voting on this issue for the second and final time on April 7th. Please contact Knoxville City Council as soon as possible and let them know you either oppose any compromise or that you want them to hold firm at 150 sq. ft. And if you do write, please THANK City Council for enacting the ban. NEW! A 180-day moratorium on digital billboards and EMC's in Knox County has been enacted so that an ordinance to regulate them can be discussed. Contact your Knox County Commissioners to let them know you oppose digital billboards and EMCs and want them regulated in Knox County! Watch the Scenic Knoxville 30-sec. TV spot on Digital Billboards and visit Stop Knoxville Blight for more information on digital billboards.
Future interests and activities for the group include working to develop a comprehensive ridge protection ordinance, advocating for sustainable land use policies and environmentally sound practices, advancing historic preservation of scenic landmarks, and supporting appropriate state and local legislative initiatives such as implementing billboard and signage control measures.
Join us! Your new membership to Scenic Tennessee also gives you membership in Scenic Knoxville. To support Scenic Knoxville and Scenic Tennessee and begin receiving the quarterly newsletter, you can join online at Scenic Tennessee or click here to download a membership form. Individuals from surrounding counties are welcome. For more information contact info@scenicknoxville.org.
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| Working Together to Keep Knoxville Scenic! |
A group of diverse individuals from different parts of Knoxville, all possessing a real passion for the city, came together in early 2008 to form the Scenic Knoxville chapter.
