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Commission approves digital message board for Friebus Avenue religious facility with conditions
Summary
The Graphics Commission approved a ground sign with a small monochrome LED message portion for a religious facility at 1555 Friebus Avenue, permitting automatic changeable copy after staff and the south-side area commission recommended approval.
The Columbus Graphics Commission approved a ground sign that includes a small monochrome LED message board for a religious facility at 1555 Friebus Avenue, permitting automatic changeable copy for community notices subject to city code limitations on illumination and motion.
Planning staff noted that Columbus citywide planning policy generally discourages automatic changeable-copy signs in residential districts but also noted a practice of approving such signs for institutional uses — schools and religious facilities — when they provide community benefit. The South Side Area Commission recommended approval and staff told the commission it had worked with the applicant on lighting controls and content restrictions.
Pastor James Benton of Buddha Spirit Church and Colin Brickman of United Sign Company described the sign as an ACM top panel with a digital LED message panel below. Brickman said the sign face is roughly 1 foot tall by 63 inches wide for the digital portion, that the church building sits about 50 feet back from the street and that the sign would sit 15 feet from the right-of-way. The LED portion was described as monochrome text-only, capable of simple messages such as event announcements; the applicant stated the display will not use flashing or continuous scrolling and will comply with city lighting controls.
Commissioners asked about setback, orientation, how the sign is controlled and whether the digital panel would be single-faced. The applicant said the sign would be parallel to the road with text on a single face, controlled simply by connection and basic programming; the installer described the display as monochrome text-only. The commission moved to approve the binding effect and final application; votes recorded in the transcript show affirmative votes from Commissioners Rumbaugh, Moore, Cavallares, Williams and Chair Cooperman.
The approval permits the institution to use automatic changeable copy for community messaging subject to the city’s lighting and sign-code controls; the sign permit and installation will be processed through standard permitting channels.
