(a) The provisions of the Scenic Highway System Act of 1971, compiled in part 1 of this chapter, regarding signs, outdoor advertising devices, junkyards, and trash dumping applies to the Tennessee parkway system. If a conflict exists between this part and part 1 of this chapter regarding signs, outdoor advertising devices, junkyards, and trash dumping, due to a road having been designated as being on both the scenic highway system pursuant to part 1 of this chapter and the parkway system pursuant to this part, then part 1 of this chapter shall prevail. It is the intent of the general assembly that nothing contained in this subsection (a) shall be construed as having any retroactive force or taking away any vested right or be applied to any contractual obligation.

Terms Used In Tennessee Code 54-17-206

  • Highway: includes public bridges and may be held equivalent to the words "county way" "county road" or "state road". See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
  • On-premises device: means a sign:
    (A) That is located within fifty feet (50') of, and on the same parcel of property and on the same side of the highway as, the facility that owns or operates the sign or within fifty feet (50') of, and on the same parcel of property and on the same side of the highway as, the entrance to the parcel of property upon which two (2) or more facilities are located. See Tennessee Code 54-17-103
  • Property: includes both personal and real property. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Road: includes public bridges and may be held equivalent to the words "county way" "county road" or "state road". See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Scenic highway: means any highway, road, or sections of the highway or road designated as a scenic highway from time to time by the general assembly under this part. See Tennessee Code 54-17-103
  • Sign: means an outdoor sign, light, display, device, figure, painting, drawing, message, placard, poster, billboard, or other thing which is designed, intended, or used to advertise or inform any part of the advertising or informative contents of which is visible from any place on the main traveled way of an interstate system or primary system. See Tennessee Code 54-17-103
(b) Subsection (a) shall not apply to those parts of the system lying within any comprehensively zoned area, unless otherwise provided by the zoning regulations and within one-half (½) mile of any section of the parkway system where it crosses an interstate highway system.
(c) The following signs are excepted from this part:

(1) Official signs and notices, including directional and warning signs, authorized or required by law;
(2) Utility signs; and
(3) Signs other than outdoor advertising devices, as defined in § 54-21-102, if such signs:

(A)

(i) Have a sign face that does not exceed five hundred square feet (500 sq. ft.) in total area if the sign is an on-premises device; or
(ii) Have a sign face that does not exceed twenty square feet (20 sq. ft.) in total area if the sign is not an on-premises device;
(B) Do not contain any flashing, intermittent, or moving lights; and
(C) Are located at least one thousand feet (1,000′) apart along the highway frontage if the signs are on-premises devices larger than twenty square feet (20 sq. ft.) and more than one (1) such sign is located on the same property.