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Neighborhood opposition leads to condition on Maddens Point sign; commission approves 15-foot maximum
Summary
After neighborhood testimony that the apartment-complex sign is disallowed under Title 34, the applicant agreed to lower the sign to a 15-foot maximum and the Graphics Commission approved the special permit and variance with that condition.
The Columbus Graphics Commission approved a special permit and variance for a ground sign at 3448 Maddens Point Lane on the condition that the sign be no taller than 15 feet, following testimony from neighborhood representatives that the sign type is disallowed under the city’s newer Title 34 sign code.
Monica Tuttle, chair of the Northwest Civic Association’s zoning committee, said the sign had never properly held a special permit after a parcel split a decade earlier and that Title 34 “actually” prohibits the off-premises ground sign the applicant sought to legitimize. "This is actually a disallowed sign under title 34," she told commissioners.
Applicant representative Jim McFarland called the sign a long-standing on-site identification feature, noting prior permits dating to the 1980s and saying the application reduced the structure from a 20-foot height to approximately 17.5 feet. McFarland said the applicant preferred to maintain the existing area of the sign and proposed technical changes to lower the cabinet and tighten spacing rather than remove the whole structure.
Commissioners pressed both sides on possible compromises. The applicant said removing shrubbery or the lower cabinet could achieve further reductions; neighborhood representatives sought a 12-foot standard consistent with some Title 34 guidance. Ultimately the applicant agreed on the record to a 15-foot maximum height as a permit condition, and the commission adopted the findings and approved the application under that condition.
What this means: The permit allows the applicant to keep the sign in a reduced form but requires the contracted permit to include a firm maximum height and related construction details (applicant said the options to achieve 15 feet include removing the lower cabinet or trimming vegetation). Staff indicated the nonconforming status under the older code contributed to the finding but that the special permit was required because the current application involves off-premises status after the parcel split.
Next step: The applicant will pursue final permits reflecting the 15-foot condition. City planning staff will enforce the condition as part of the permit review.
Sources: Testimony from Monica Tuttle and Jim McFarland at the July Graphics Commission meeting.
