LEBANON, Tenn. (WKRN) — Snow White Drive In's neon sign has glowed since the 1950s, but in recent weeks, it nearly went dark. It was caught up in a city ordinance banning neon signs.

On Tuesday night, the fight ended. In a tie-breaking vote, Lebanon Mayor Rick Bell sided with some councilmembers to repeal the ordinance, which completely reversed the decision the same council had passed earlier this spring.

The ordinance was initially billed as a crackdown on vape shops and liquor stores. Instead, it swept up longtime businesses like Snow White Drive In, sparking an outcry from residents who argued the city was erasing its history.

"Is this what we are going to do — is throw out good ordinances?" Ward 2 councilmember Geri Ashley asked. She and some others defended the rule as an honest mistake, one that should have been corrected, not discarded altogether.

Others disagreed.

"If someone wants to have an open sign, I think they should be able to have more than that," Ward 1 councilmember Joey Carmack said. "I think it's a little too much government overreach. I think on the news you hear daily: the government needs to get out of my business."

For the Snow White Dine In family, the mayor's vote brought relief.

"I'm glad they did that," the manager said Tuesday night. "I think the community will be happy, too. It was the right thing to do."

In the weeks leading up to the vote, residents rallied behind the 70-year-old diner, posting messages of support and urging the council to protect a piece of Lebanon's history.

News Source : https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-news/lebanon-repeals-neon-sign-ban-after-community-pushback-from-a-beloved-local-diner/