Design Review Commission Meeting – July 28, 2026

The Design Review Commission of Germantown, Tennessee, held a regular meeting on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, at 6:00 PM (with an executive session at 5:30 PM). The meeting included approval of minutes, a consent agenda with four items, a staff update on the Thrive Germantown 2050 comprehensive plan, and liaison reports. No public comments were made.

Consent Calendar

• Minutes: Approved unanimously the minutes from the June 23, 2026 regular meeting and the July 9, 2026 subcommittee meeting.
• Consent Agenda Items (A–D): Approved unanimously:
  • 26-013 Germantown Collective – Ground-mounted sign at 7622 Poplar Pike.
  • 26-017 Ciel Senior Living of Germantown (formerly Brookdale) – Re-faced ground-mounted sign at 8199 Poplar Ave.
  • 26-016 Ramblin’ Joe’s Coffee – Site modification (patio & landscaping) at 1227 S. Germantown Rd., Ste. 101.
  • 17-749 Pike & West – Ground-mounted sign in Old Germantown at 2277 West St. (added to consent during executive session).

Public Comments & Testimony

• No members of the public spoke during the citizen comments portions.

Discussion Items

• Old Business: Staff (Sarah) provided an update on the Thrive Germantown 2050 comprehensive plan, encouraging attendance at upcoming public engagement meetings and use of the project website/QR code.
• New Business: No topics were raised; the chamber was empty.

Commission Liaison Reports

• Historic Commission (Ms. Kimbrough): Noted upcoming events but could not recall specific dates; will report at next meeting.
• Parks and Recreation Commission (Ms. Meanwell): Did not meet; no report.
• Public Art Commission (Ms. Meanwell): Reported:
  • Official celebration and opening of the Riverwood Tunnel murals occurred in late June with about 50 attendees.
  • A fundraiser on July 9 raised sponsorships for five of eight murals at $1,500 each; three remain available for sponsorship. The City of Germantown matches sponsorships up to $50,000.
  • The commission received a grant from the Tennessee Art Commission to support the Creative Parlor program (artist-led workshops at John Gray House, train depot, or Oak Lawn Gardens), to be completed by June 2027.
  • The city’s public art manager was recognized for her work on the murals.
• Sketch Plan Committee & Tree Board: Did not meet.
• Board of Mayor & Aldermen (Alderman Hicks): Reported that the previous night’s BMA meeting was consent only; he urged commissioners and the public to vote in the ongoing county election (early voting through July 30, election day August 6), emphasizing that many county offices (e.g., county clerk, criminal court clerk) are on the ballot and will not appear in November.

Key Outcomes

• Approval of Minutes (unanimous).
• Approval of Consent Agenda (unanimous) – all four sign/site modification requests approved.
• No other resolutions, votes, or referrals occurred.
• The meeting adjourned shortly after 6:10 PM.