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ZBA allows six-month temporary Henry Ford Health banners with removal condition
Summary
The Southfield Zoning Board of Appeals approved a six-month temporary banner for Henry Ford Health at 16001 West 9 Mile Road and a large banner size variance, conditioned on removal once a permanent sign is installed.
The Southfield Zoning Board of Appeals on April 1 approved a request from Henry Ford Health to display a large temporary banner at 16001 West 9 Mile Road for up to six months, overriding limits in the city sign ordinance.
Henry Ford Health (formerly Ascension Providence Hospital) sought a waiver of the permitted time period for temporary banners—requesting six months where the code allows 30 days every three months—and a waiver of banner size, requesting 840 square feet where 50 square feet is permitted (a variance of 790 square feet). The property is zoned ERO (Education Research Office); the staff cited section 8.51, article 4 of the Southfield sign ordinance.
The applicant, Robert Dempster of Dempster Designs, said the banners are intended to announce Henry Ford’s rebranding and improve visibility from 9 Mile Road while the new permanent signage is fabricated. Molly Malone, executive director of the Southfield Downtown Development Authority, testified that larger temporary banners are sometimes necessary to achieve legibility for large medical buildings and said she supported the variance.
City staff recommended denial, calling the requested time period and size ‘‘excessive’’ compared with the ordinance and saying the proposal was inconsistent with the spirit and intent of the chapter. Board members discussed whether the banner should be allowed given the hospital’s public-service role and the site’s setback from the road. Mister Rogers said, “I don't have a problem with the large banner,” and noted the need for wayfinding to a hospital.
Mister Rogers moved to approve both waivers; the motion passed on a voice vote. The board added one condition: the temporary banner must be removed if the permanent Henry Ford sign is installed before the six-month period ends. The board recorded the decision as an approval conditioned on that removal and on the applicant securing required permits and inspections from the City of Southfield Building Department.
