Design Review Board approves 750 Broadway sign, asks staff to seek citywide change for real estate signs

The Lorain Design Review Board approved a sign permit for 750 Broadway and asked staff to draft recommended changes to city sign rules covering real estate signs at its meeting, while debating whether real estate signs should be exempt from permitting requirements.

Board members focused on a 3-by-5-foot real estate sign that Broadway Redevelopment LLC installed without a permit. Jeff Neal, the applicant, identified himself as affiliated with Russell Real Estate Services and said the company hired a professional installer who marked utilities and did not indicate a permit was needed: "I'm Jeff Neil. I'm with Russell Real Estate Services. Our office is 2001 North Levitt Road, Amherst, Ohio. And we're here today because we put a real estate sign up on Broadway." Neal said he would pay any required fee.

The issue turned on several code points and practical concerns. Planning staff explained the city’s current exemptions and limits: "Just exempt signs overall regardless of the marketing or what they're covering is 4 square feet," a staff member said during the meeting. Staff noted temporary signs are limited to 30 days in many cases, while exempted real estate signs do not have a time limit, and that the board’s authority differs for signs in the downtown B-3/design-review district. Staff also identified a setback issue: the code’s typical setback for ground signs is 15 feet and the board’s measurement indicated the installed sign was closer to 10 feet.

During discussion, board members and staff described competing goals: easing burdens on realtors and property owners who cannot sell commercial space within a short time, while preserving visibility, pedestrian safety and design standards downtown. "I don't think there should be a timeline on real estate signs," said a board member present during the discussion. Staff added that permit processing currently takes about "5 to 7 days," which some members said can be a burden when marketing property.

The board unanimously approved the applicant’s sign as submitted. The board then voted to authorize staff to draft proposed amendments and a recommendation for the planning commission and council to consider; staff said it would aim to bring language to planning commission in July, with council action to follow after the city’s legislative schedule and an August recess.

Board and staff comments raised several specific items they said the proposed language should address: whether real estate signs should be exempt from permitting, a citywide or downtown-only approach, maximum dimensions (members discussed 4-by-8 and 4-by-6 as reference sizes), required setbacks (15 feet was cited as typical), temporary-sign thresholds (staff referenced a 24-square-foot threshold for temporary rigid signs) and how to avoid repeat permitting when a sign is moved from one parcel to another.

Staff also noted related, already-proposed signage updates that had been sent to council and that the design-review guideline revision (supported by a CLG grant) would be another venue to consider how real estate and other signs should be treated. Staff asked board members to submit written recommendations by email for inclusion in the draft.

The board’s action accepted the sign application for 750 Broadway and authorized staff to prepare code language and submit it to planning commission; no change to city code was adopted at the meeting. The board said it would continue the conversation during the design review guideline updates and when the planning commission considers the staff draft.