Graphics Commission approves most Columbus City Schools 'Legacy Lights' banner requests, tables and questions some larger proposals

The Columbus Graphics Commission approved multiple permit requests on April (date not specified) to install vertical banners at Columbus City Schools buildings as part of the district's Legacy Lights program, while tabling and asking for revisions on several larger or more prominently sited proposals.

The Legacy Lights initiative, presented by Lee Cole, executive director of engagement for Columbus City Schools, would place customized vertical banners on decorative light poles, metal utility poles where allowed, and on some building facades to celebrate school achievements, athletics and arts programs. "Legacy Lights is an initiative that places pole banners on decorative light posts, utility posts, and in some instances affixed to buildings, that celebrates what's going on in our schools," Cole said during the commission meeting.

Commissioners approved a package of banner variances for many schools after staff testimony that the requests were primarily institutional and intended to face the street. The commission also accepted that some sites must use building-mounted banners because wooden utility poles or other site constraints prevented pole mounting, and commissioners noted that the district has funding and a replacement plan.

Columbus City Schools told the commission the banners will generally be vinyl, sized to the locations being requested (examples discussed included 4-by-8 banners for building-mounted pieces and smaller pole-mounted banners such as 24-by-72 or 24-by-60 inches), and would remain "indefinitely while the buildings are in use" with a regular replacement cycle as elements weather. The district said it received a city grant, the "614 Beautiful" grant, to fund permitting and initial installation. Carissa Izzo, who said the district will fabricate some banners in-house, explained the 4-by-8 dimension chosen for some building-mounted banners: it allows quick in-house replacement if a banner is damaged.

Commissioners pressed district staff on placement and scale at several sites, asking about sightlines, tree cover, structural mounting, materials and whether banners would be used for advertising. Lee Cole and district staff said the banners will follow a chain-of-approval for messaging (principals and superintendent approval) and are not intended to carry third-party advertising. Commissioners also discussed hardship grounds for variances: district staff cited setbacks or lack of metal poles and the need to maintain visibility from the public right-of-way as practical constraints.

While many applications were approved, the commission took other actions on school-related cases: it tabled at least one application to allow additional review and staff follow-up; for some larger building-mounted requests staff recommended disapproval because of scale and visual dominance and asked applicants either to reduce banner size or place banners on a less prominent elevation.

Votes at a glance (cases discussed in the hearing) - GC25-0074841 (application tied to Legacy Lights initial package): approved (vote recorded; specific tallies not specified in the transcript). Staff recommended approval. - GC25-0092555 (Bridal Road): approved. Staff recommended approval; banners to be pole-mounted in parking lot, three vertical banners, each visible from the street. - GC25-0102632 (McGovern Road / Columbus Alternative High School): staff recommended disapproval because the proposed banners were large and highly visible from the roadway; applicants argued wooden utility poles and setbacks constrained options. Transcript shows staff recommended disapproval; a final commission disposition was not clearly recorded in the available transcript. - GC25-0112951 (South High Street): approved. Staff recommended approval; four pole-mounted banners in parking lot were recommended and approved. - GC25-0123245 (Mifflin / duplicate slide issues noted): approved (application as corrected). The applicant and staff clarified that a placeholder slide duplicated a banner; commissioners voted to approve the corrected application. - GC25-0133201'3233 (Allegheny Avenue / Afrocentric High School): approved. Some banners face Allegheny Avenue; staff said the grant requires banners face the street and the commission approved with that understanding. - GC25-04478 (Eastport High School / Southland Avenue): tabled for further review of placement and facade suitability (commission motion to table GC25Dash04). - GC25-016179 (South Platte Avenue / West High School): approved. Staff recommended approval; banners located on light poles on the south elevation were accepted.

Discussion vs. decision: commissioners repeatedly separated discussion points (placement, visibility, material and structural mounting) from formal actions. In several cases staff asked applicants to return with revised locations or reduced sizes if the commission sought changes rather than outright approval.

Why it matters: the Legacy Lights program represents a district-wide visual branding and community engagement effort funded in part by a city grant; the commission's approvals and conditions shape how and where the banners will be seen by residents, drivers and school communities.

What remains: applicants whose requests were tabled or for which staff recommended disapproval were directed to consult with buildings-and-grounds staff, adjust sizes or elevations, or return with more detailed mounting and sight-line information. The district said principals and the superintendent will approve final banner content.

Speakers quoted in this article were present in the transcript and include Columbus City Schools and commission staff who testified during the hearing.