Note to Apple: don’t think all of Tennessee makes such weird decisions as has happened in the Germantown subdivision of Memphis, where Apple is building a retail store.
Those plans have run into a bit of a snag because Germantown’s Design Review Commission hasn’t approved a request by Apple for a variance on the city’s sign ordinance. The problem is that Apple’s logo incorporates an apple design — and Germantown’s sign ordinance doesn’t allow food items on signs.
What’s more, Apple wants to illuminate the fruity logo — and Germantown’s sign ordinance doesn’t allow internal illumination either.
“They were pretty far out (of compliance) and didn’t have the authority to make changes,” said Germantown chief planner Wade Morgan, in Neighbors , a Memphis publication.
Morgan told “Neighbors” that the request for a sign variance was continued until the next Design Review Commission on Aug. 28. Thank goodness, Apple did receive approval for storefront renovations, according to the article.
This isn’t the first time that a Mac company has run into zoning problems in my home state. Late last year, when Mark Gregory, owner/president of the Mac Authority store in Nashville, TN, read MacCentral’s story about a two-story inflatable iMac for sale on the eBay auction site, he had to have it.
And with a winning bid of US $2,225, he did just that. For a brief period of time, the 25-foot high iMac, which has a 24 x 30 foot base, sat atop the Mac Authority store at 2018 Lindell Avenue. It was a great advertising gimmick, as the business is located next to an interstate.
The inflatable iMac weighs in at around 300 pounds, is made of tent-like material and is spray painted with the iMac design. Unfortunately, the big ol’ balloon didn’t meet Nashville zoning ordinances and it had to be removed.
But I think it would look good atop the Apple store in Germantown.