Council declines to confirm BZA denial of Sequoia Financial's illuminated sign; staff to craft signage ordinance

Mayfield Heights City Council on April 28 considered Sequoia Financial Group’s request for a large illuminated wall sign at 5910 Landerbrook and reviewed a prior Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) denial. After public comment from Sequoia and discussion of sign code practices, a motion to confirm the BZA denial failed on a roll-call vote; council members directed staff to prepare ordinance language for signage in the corporate park to be considered at the next meeting.

Joe Glick, identifying himself as Sequoia Financial Group’s chief operating and chief financial officer, told council the office at 5910 would serve as Sequoia’s “Cleveland area beachhead” and argued that prominent signage would help clients find the firm within a three-building office park. Glick said Sequoia expects to occupy sufficient space on moving day in June to meet its 2025 job commitments and that the firm has grown rapidly; “we will be on pace to actually meet our 2026 goal,” he told council.

Members of the BZA and council emphasized the limited role BZA members have when judging “practical difficulty,” a standard in the city’s sign variance procedure. BZA chair Sabetta said the board found no practical difficulty and voted 4–1 to deny the variance: “In our ordinance as written, this sign is not allowed, and there was no practical difficulty,” she said. Building department staff described standard practice used elsewhere that limits one building-mounted tenant sign per building and requires a landlord’s written approval as part of the sign permit package. Staff recommended that the city consider code changes that would allow a primary tenant sign while avoiding multiple tenant signs on the same façade.

Council did not immediately authorize a permit. City staff clarified that even if council were to overturn the BZA decision, a change in the sign code or an ordinance would be required before a permit could be issued. Council members noted the corporate park is a strategic area for business recruitment and described Sequoia’s proposal as a potential “test case” for a revised corporate-park sign standard.

Outcome and next steps: A council motion to confirm the BZA denial did not carry; council asked staff to draft an ordinance amending the sign code for the corporate park, direct the proposal through Planning Commission as required, and return to council. Council and staff said the revised ordinance would likely require Planning Commission review and could take 30 days or longer to move through the process.

Details from the record: The requested sign was reported as 72.9 square feet on the wall of 5910 Landerbrook. The BZA voted 4–1 to deny the variance. Council discussion signaled support for a code change permitting one primary tenant sign per building with landlord sign-off included in the permit application. City staff and council members said they will prepare legislation for consideration at the next council meeting.