Roll call and procedural items: The committee took roll call, swore in speakers, and reviewed rules of procedure before moving to old and new business.
Digital sign/screen major modification near the aquarium: A children's educational nonprofit near the Tennessee Aquarium presented a proposal for a roughly 15-foot by 15-foot digital sign/screen positioned above its front entrance, visible from the Chattanooga Green Space, the horseshoe, and nearby pedestrian routes. The organization's CEO committed in writing to honoring any conditions the committee imposed. Committee members raised concerns that the sign design (including a "family" text element) was oversized and suggested design adjustments, such as repositioning elements, to reduce visual impact.
Medical office building addition – ground-story glazing modification: An architect representing a surgical center and dermatology practice requested a major modification to reduce the minimum ground-story glazing/transparency requirement (previously reduced to as low as 40% in a phase-one approval) to 70% for a phase-two pediatric addition, citing high patient volume and parking constraints. Discussion noted the building's roughly 360-foot frontage exceeds the form-based code's 300-foot maximum, meaning even a smaller addition would still require a modification.
Case FBC 2617 (E 11th Street): The committee considered a request to decrease the minimum ground-story fenestration requirement and increase the primary street maximum setback for a property on E 11th Street.
Key Decisions & Votes
FBC 2617 (E 11th Street): A motion was made and seconded to approve both requested modifications – decreasing the minimum ground-story fenestration requirement and increasing the primary street maximum setback from 15 feet to the existing condition. The motion passed on a voice vote with no stated opposition.
The digital sign/screen and medical office glazing modification cases were discussed at length, with the committee requesting design changes and clarification on prior phase-one approval conditions; no final vote tally was stated on the recording for these two items.
