HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ohio — Highland Heights is taking steps to ban electronic/LED message board signs after the majority of council members agreed at a meeting Tuesday that they don’t want them in the city.
The signs have been a topic of discussion among several Hillcrest communities lately as they try to accommodate businesses that want the signs, but maintain the characteristics of residential areas.
Highland Heights Charter does not address electronic message board signs, but they are permitted for school and government informational purposes, according to Law Director Tim Paluf. There is one outside of city hall and another at the entrance of a public park.
The city placed a moratorium on the electronic message board signs in December when Security Self Storage on Bishop Road applied for a variance in hopes of erecting one.
“I ask residents what their opinions are and the general feeling I’m getting is that they aren’t either for or against them, so I would probably agree with that,” Mayor Scott Coleman said. “At this point we don’t have a need for them and if we were to prohibit them it would preserve the nature of our city.”
Council asked its law director to draft legislation that would prohibit the signs at a committee of the whole meeting Tuesday, while Richmond Heights Councilman Mark Alexander introduced legislation in March to permit and regulate them in the neighboring city.
“We all need to consider what it is that makes our city great for our residents,” Council President Cathy Murphy said. “We don’t primarily focus on having or wanting a business strip in our city. We are more of a residential community. We care about our neighborhoods, our parks, our schools and I think something like this could threaten the landscape of our community.”
Most council members, including Ann D’Amico, Lisa Marie Stickan, Ed Hargate and Leo Lombardo, said the illuminated signs that show changing digital messages are not right for Highland Heights, but Councilman Robert Mastrangelo’s opinion differed from the others.’
“I’m not sure why we are afraid of new technology. I think we might be able to enhance neighborhoods with new technology like this,” he said. “Why prohibit something on Alpha Drive where there are no residents anywhere near there?
“I think it’s worth looking at. We can control them and keep the residential nature of the city and satisfy the businesses that want to keep them.”
Murphy also said there are safety concerns.
“The whole point of the signs is to distract you,” she said. “So many cities are banning cell phones and there is concern we are adding another distraction for drivers.”
Richmond Heights City Council is considering an ordinance that would permit and regulate use of the signs. Building Commissioner Phil Seyboldt said a request from the school district to install an electronic message board outside its board offices prompted the discussion.
“I believe that council is trying to be a little more business friendly,” Seyboldt said. “We tried to come up with something that wouldn’t be harmful to residential districts.”
If passed, the ordinance would prohibit signs less than 200 feet from residential areas from being illuminated between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.
Lyndhurst updated its sign ordinances in 2010 to regulate use of electronic message boards. They are only permitted on five-acre parcels with more than ten tenants and a single owner. There are signs outside Legacy Village and Lyndhurst City Hall, and another outside Mar-Lou Shoes on Mayfield Road, which was granted a variance to erect the sign.
Councilman Lane Schlessel said council could explore changing the law in the future to accommodate more businesses.
“I want to avoid Mayfield Road looking like a Las Vegas strip. I don’t want to see neon lights flashing up and down the street,” Schlessel said.
