Akron council approves conditional use for 65-foot digital billboard at 800 Flora Avenue

Akron City Council approved a conditional use permit Monday to allow an outdoor digital advertising display at 800 Flora Avenue.

The permit, approved 12–0, authorizes Kenjo Outdoor to install a double‑sided, V‑shaped digital billboard supported by a steel monopole with an overall height of 65 feet. The panels were described as 48 feet wide by 14 feet high — 672 square feet per face — and were sited roughly 450 feet east to the west end of the property, centered north to south on the lot. "Kenjo Outdoor is requesting permission to place an outdoor advertising display or a billboard to a height of 65 feet at this location," said Mister Antonucci, a city staff member presenting the petition and application materials to council.

The council's planning staff and the Planning Commission recommended approval subject to conditions. Antonucci said the petitioner selected the location based on the petitioner's understanding of Ohio Department of Transportation separation requirements and that a lighting study had been submitted. Applicant Dan Nielsen, who identified his address as 928 Haverhill Drive in Troy, Ohio, said, "We have 3 or 4 signs already in Akron" and that the light study "shows that no residences will receive any light." Nielsen said he purchased the land months earlier, paid back taxes and believed the site's configuration and neighboring industrial uses made it suitable for a billboard.

Why it matters: The conditional use allows a large, illuminated advertising structure in a location visible from nearby highway ramps. Council members asked staff and the applicant about safety setbacks and lighting; staff said the proposal meets most zoning development standards for conditional advertising displays and that the digital panel orientation toward the highway reduces impacts to adjacent properties.

Council procedure and outcome: Councilman Fusco pulled the committee for a favorable report; the committee signaled support and council voted to pass the ordinance 12–0.

Details and conditions recorded in the application include the 65‑foot overall height, 672 square‑foot digital faces, and reliance on a submitted lighting study. The application materials referenced separation distances from expressway ramps cited by the Ohio Department of Transportation, and the planning staff noted the proposal should comply with applicable national lighting requirements for digital displays.

The ordinance was advertised in the Akron Beacon Journal on April 26 and on the council website beginning April 23.