North Ridgeville zoning board approves sign, fence and outbuilding variances; tables one shed request

The North Ridgeville Board of Zoning and Building Appeals voted unanimously on a series of land‑use variances at a public meeting, approving sign and setback adjustments for multiple properties and tabling one outbuilding request for further applicant information.

Board members approved a sign package for an urgent care on Center Ridge Road that reduced an earlier request and included a condition tying any granted signage relief to the current tenant. The board also approved a two‑foot side‑setback variance to replace a collapsed pole barn on Center Ridge Road, approved a one‑foot height variance for a 5‑foot ornamental fence on a corner lot, and approved a 20% changeable‑copy variance for St. Peter Catholic Church’s relocated monument sign. A separate application to place a small shed on Darrow Drive was tabled until the absent property owner can answer questions about alternative placement and permanence.

Why it matters: the board’s action affects how businesses and homeowners may advertise, secure properties and rebuild accessory structures. The board attached a specific condition to the urgent‑care sign approvals to limit long‑term changes in signage allotment tied to the property’s current use, reflecting concern about variances running with the land.

Urgent‑care sign package (Center Ridge Road) The board considered an amended sign package for an urgent‑care tenant at a Center Ridge Road parcel (PPZ2025‑331). Staff told the board the applicant reduced an earlier request — originally nearly 300 square feet — to a net requested building‑sign variance of 126.88 square feet over the permitted 132.6 square feet (a 58 percent reduction from the original submission). The applicant asked separately for a second ground (monument) sign on a property where an existing monument sign serves an adjacent tenant footprint.

Patricia Molnar, speaking for the applicant, said, “We did remove the sign off the back of the building and we reduced the signage over 58% in the building signage. And we do require the 2 signs for visibility for traffic for entrance into the building.” Planning and Development Director Lieber advised the board that the tenant’s status as an urgent‑care provider should not be the legal basis for additional relief. Lieber stated, “It is my recommendation that the Board not take into account that the business is an urgent care in their consideration of the variance request.”

Law Director Moriarty told the board that variances typically run with the land and are “run with the property or run with the land,” making time‑limited approvals difficult to enforce unless clearly documented. The applicant agreed to amend the application to include a condition tying any variance to the current end user; the board voted to approve both the building‑sign and monument‑sign variances with that restriction. Roll call recorded Grautman, Toth and Masterson voting yes; the motions carried unanimously.

Pole barn replacement (37079 Center Ridge Road) The board voted to allow a replacement outbuilding at 37079 Center Ridge Road (PPZ2025‑341). Staff said the existing barn had a partially collapsed roof and that the applicant proposed a new roughly 720‑square‑foot pole barn located 3 feet from the side lot line; the zoning code requires a 5‑foot side setback, so the request sought a 2‑foot variance. Applicant James Koesler (application listed as James and Deborah Koesler) explained the location was chosen to preserve backyard access and because most surrounding parcels are owned by Lake Ridge Academy. The board found the variance minimal and approved it unanimously; roll call recorded Grautman, Toth and Masterson voting yes.

Darrow Drive outbuilding (tabled) An application to place an approximately 80‑square‑foot shed at a Darrow Drive address (PPZ2025‑349) was tabled. Staff noted the applicant proposed siting the shed 1 foot 3 inches from a side lot line and 1 foot 6 inches from the rear lot line where code requires 5 feet. The applicant’s representatives said the structure is a small, moveable plastic shed and that an adjacent neighbor had no objection; several board members and staff asked why the shed could not be located closer to the house, or whether it would be permanent. Because the property owner who filed the application was not present to answer placement and foundation questions, the board voted to table the application to the next meeting. Roll call on the motion to table showed the measure carried unanimously.

Fence variance on corner lot (West Fenwick Drive) The board approved a variance permitting a 5‑foot black aluminum rail fence in a front/side yard on a corner lot (PPZ2025‑345). The code limit for a front‑yard fence is 4 feet; the applicant said the extra foot is for pet and child containment and the proposed fence meets the ordinance’s openness requirements (more than 50% open). Staff confirmed the fence lies outside the utility easement and that the homeowner’s HOA permits a 5‑foot fence. The motion passed unanimously.

St. Peter Catholic Church sign (Center Ridge Road) Because St. Peter Catholic Church’s parish‑hall construction requires relocating the existing monument sign, the church sought a variance to reuse a sign whose changeable copy portion exceeds the code maximum. Staff said the code allows up to 50% changeable copy; the church’s sign would show about 70% changeable copy. Planning staff noted the overall monument sign area would be below the maximum allowed and that the extra changeable area amounts to roughly seven square feet. Church representatives said the sign has served parish and school communications for about 12 years. The board approved the variance unanimously.

Votes at a glance - PPZ2025‑331 (urgent care sign package, Center Ridge Road): Approved. Roll call: Grautman — yes; Toth — yes; Masterson — yes. Condition: any signage variance tied to the current end user/use; documentation to be recorded and clarified. - PPZ2025‑341 (pole barn replacement, 37079 Center Ridge Road): Approved (2‑foot side‑setback variance). Roll call: Grautman — yes; Toth — yes; Masterson — yes. - PPZ2025‑349 (outbuilding, Darrow Drive): Tabled (applicant absent; board requested owner presence to address placement and permanence). - PPZ2025‑345 (fence, West Fenwick Drive): Approved (1‑foot height variance; 5‑foot fence in front yard). Roll call: Grautman — yes; Toth — yes; Masterson — yes. - PPZ2025‑406 (St. Peter Catholic Church monument sign relocation): Approved (20% additional changeable copy). Roll call: Grautman — yes; Toth — yes; Masterson — yes.

What’s next: The board said staff will document the urgent‑care condition tying signage relief to the current tenant and will include precise language in the written approval. The Darrow Drive applicant must appear at the next meeting to address placement and whether the shed will be permanent.