By DEREK HODGES

Staff Writer

PIGEON FORGE — After months of talking about it, Pigeon Forge leaders appear ready to act on an ordinance regulating digital billboards.

On the agenda for the City Commission’s meeting at 5:30 p.m. today in City Hall is Ordinance No. 901, which would introduce Pigeon Forge’s first rules on the lighted signs. It would only apply to billboards, though, and not to the digital ground signs that are used by many city businesses.

The proposed rules aren’t very strict, allowing companies to change any of their boards to digital provided they get approval from the City Commission. To get that OK, though, the boards must show static images for a minimum of eight seconds and cannot show animation or video.

The ordinance would also restrict the signs to no closer than 1,000 feet in any direction. That may mean city officials will see a run on requests to upgrade signs, given that each company with billboards in Pigeon Forge will likely want at least its fair crack at getting the new technology for its structures.

City officials previously acted to limit the number of billboards to only those that already have a state permit. Given that a few companies control most of the signs, they may be pitted against each other to secure digital approval, though Darby Campbell of Premier Media has said he doesn’t see there being a large amount of requests because he doesn’t think there’s demand enough to support the signs.

Still, if a battle to get approval does ensue, city leaders may find themselves on the horns of a dilemma. That’s because the new ordinance doesn’t dictate how they will determine who gets the approval.

For instance, Campbell’s company already has a couple digital boards. If he wants to put up another that is far enough away from one of those, and another company also has a sign in that area it wants to upgrade, the City Commission will have to decide who should get the permission. If the two companies submit their requests at the same time, there’s nothing that stipulates who gets the approval.

The boards have become controversial in some other areas, where officials have raised the concern they may be distracting to drivers. State lawmakers have moved to limit how closely together the signs can be placed on interstates, while Knoxville leaders have banned them altogether. Pigeon Forge is the first city in Sevier County to take up the matter.

Meanwhile, at least two Pigeon Forge officials – Mayor Keith Whaley and Vice Mayor Kevin McClure – have vocalized support for the digital upgrades.

“Personally, I think they’re more aesthetically pleasing. I like them,” Whaley said in a recent work session in which the matter was discussed.

Still, the group agreed to ask city attorney Jim Gass to draft some rules governing the billboards.

Besides the sign ordinance, plans for the city’s new fire station on Veterans Boulevard will also be on the minds of the commissioners this evening. Of the nine items on the agenda, six deal with the proposed facility.

That’s likely an attempt to roll quickly on the project, since the federal stimulus grant funding the build requires that it be started within just a few months.

Among the other issues set to come before the board are:

n Resolution No. 770 authorizing the filing of a grant application to the United States Fire Administration for the purpose of enhancing fire prevention and life safety services of the Fire Department.

n An agreement with SRA Architects to provide architectural services for the construction of the new fire station

n An agreement with Elizabeth Eason Architectural LLC for consulting services to identify sustainable design strategies for the station to meet LEED requirements set forth in a federal grant awarded for the construction

n An agreement with Engineering Testing Solutions for subsurface exploration to determine general conditions for the station site

n An agreement with Wilbur Smith Associates to complete an access study at the location

n An agreement with Vision Engineering to provide civil site design for the station

n An agreement with Double K for a price increase for the trolleys ordered utilizing ARRA funds

n Acceptance of a grant from the Tennessee Division of Forestry to purchase equipment for the Fire Department.

dhodges@themountainpress.com