Athens City Hall

A church’s desire to install an electronic sign has prompted Athens City Council to try to amend its zoning ordinance.

First Baptist Church of Athens asked council members Wayne Harper and Harold Wales about getting the ordinance changed. The church, which is in a traditional institutional district, is zoned improperly to allow an electronic sign.

Harper and Wales, as representatives of the City Council, asked fellow council members Monday to change the ordinance to allow the sign rather than asking the church to rezone its property to allow the sign.

The current zoning ordinance says proposed amendments to the text of the zoning ordinance may be initiated by the Athens City Council, the Athens Planning Commission or the Athens Board of Zoning Adjustment. In this case, the City Council requested the change to message signs, electronic reader board signs and electronic message center signs. The request was added to the council agenda at Monday’s meeting.

Other proposed changes

During the council’s work session Monday, City Attorney Shane Black told council members the proposed change to the zoning ordinance would allow electronic signs in traditional institutional districts, where they are currently not allowed. He said the proposal would also allow signs under the following conditions:

• Signs are oriented away from residential structures and neighborhoods;

• Signs are not placed within the boundary of a historic district, on a historic site or on a property with a building listed on a local, state or federal historic register;

• Electronic message centers and electronic reader board signs contain a default mechanism that reverts to black screen if the sign malfunctions;

• Signs are only used between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m.;

• Signs allow for their brightness to be adjusted; and

• No more than 75% of the total sign consists of electric elements.

Related matter

Mayor Ronnie Marks told councilmen that while they were going through the lengthy process of trying to amend the zoning ordinance to allow electronic church signs, they might also consider shortening the number of seconds allowed for electronic messages on busy highways and interstates. He proposed amending the zoning ordinance to lower the duration of those messages from 10 seconds to 8 seconds.

The council approved the proposed amendments during the meeting.

Just the beginning

The public will have two opportunities to ask questions about the rezoning request before a final vote. Black said the matter will be sent to the Athens Planning Commission for a public hearing, review and recommendations. From there, the matter will come back to the council for a public hearing and council vote.

Live-streamed council

Monday’s council meeting and work session were live-streamed to abide by the 10-person limit on gatherings set by Gov. Kay Ivey to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus. Eight of the 10 seats at a council meeting are filled by the four council members, mayor, city attorney, city clerk and public information officer.

City department heads are supposed to attend meetings, but there are too many of them to adhere to the 10-person limit.