The Mount Vernon City Council has turned down a request from the Knox County Commission to allow the installation of a sign on the tree lawn at the Knox County Memorial Building. The council's decision came with a 2-4 vote against the easement request during its meeting on March 10.
According to a YouTube recording of the meeting, Law Director Rob Broeren said, "The issue before Council is not what type of sign. If council agrees to allow them to place the sign in the tree line, the sign will be determined by the Historic Review Committee, which are the five members of municipal planning plus two additional members to form the Historic Review committee."
Broeren further explained that City Engineer Brian Ball has collaborated with Knox County Engineer Cameron Keaton to design a sign base that would avoid disturbing underground utilities at the site.
Ball noted that Knox County has made significant efforts with the Arts Consortium to identify an appropriate location for the sign. He indicated that current regulations prevent placing the sign off-premises and suggested that denying this request might necessitate relocating one of two memorials dedicated to fallen veterans situated on either side of the building's stairs.
Addressing concerns about traffic visibility, Ball said it should not be an issue since only an alley is near that location. He mentioned working with Safety-Service Director Tanner Salyers and county officials to restrict access to that alley. A mountable curb is being considered so only fire trucks would have access.
Ball also emphasized their intention to eliminate vehicle access as a measure to reduce pedestrian conflicts. He highlighted plans for crosswalk upgrades following an accident at one of last year's larger events and mentioned ongoing considerations for changes on both sides of the building due to accidents on Chestnut and High Street.
