The citizens of Union and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital are at odds over a new addition to the upcoming medical campus: a 20-foot pylon sign.
Residents of Union are concerned that the city’s landscape is changing too drastically, given the promises of incoming businesses into the new Union Promenade Development.
“I would like to accommodate Children’s, but I would also like to accommodate these folks who don’t want so many changes at once,” says City Commissioner John Mefford.
Cincinnati Children’s sent a representative to April’s city council meeting to justify a variance for a new 20-foot pylon sign that would be displayed along US Highway 42. The height of the signs of surrounding businesses has been restricted to eight to 10 feet.
The head of Cincinnati Children’s Real Estate department, Maura Moran-Berry, defended the legitimacy of the sign’s variance in the eyes of the Boone County Planning Commission.
“We have done traffic and visualization studies,” Moran-Berry said. She said these studies show that 20 feet is the optimal size for visibility over tractor-trailers and from a distance while driving.
In previous meetings, Moran-Berry said that the Boone County Planning Commission has worked to convince Cincinnati Children’s to reduce the height of their sign to preserve the area’s aesthetic, something Maron-Berry is unwilling to compromise on.
The size of the sign is said to be justified to maximize the legibility of the sign from a distance—whether the driver is approaching the entrance to Cincinnati Children’s campus from either direction on the highway.
The citizens of Union also have their own criticisms. Carol Harvey has been a resident of Union since 1999 and has seen the city grow and change over the past 25 years. However, she feels the recent changes have been too rapid and this exception for sign height could lead to further exceptions in the future.
“You don’t need [it] to look like a strip mall,” Harvey said.
She also makes the argument that most people rely on their cell phones for navigation and don’t require a large sign to help guide them to their destination.
The Union City Council has decided to table the matter until May 6, when they will discuss the matter at their next meeting.
