​Toledo City Council to vote on A-frame sign prohibition repeal

By: Tim Schneider

​At its regular session at 4:00 p.m. today, Toledo City Council is expected to vote on Ordinance 361-18 which would repeal the prohibition on A-frame signs, commonly referred to as sandwich board signs, and allow them in various commercial districts in the city. The signs must be limited to one per occupant, not exceed 42 inches in height nor three feet in width, and be constructed of material that presents a professional appearance. The signs would be required to be placed within five feet of the establishment, not be secured or attached to public objects or obstruct pedestrian access, and be displayed only during business hours. The Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce advocated for amendments to the ordinance including allowing the signs downtown.
 
Other legislation expected to be voted on include the following:

• Ordinance 362-18 which would authorize $750,000 from the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) fund for the District Improvement Program which would allot $125,000 for capital projects in each of the six council districts. Applications for the funding from community-based groups and organizations would be reviewed by a three member committee to include the city’s Director of Neighborhoods & Business Development or their designee, the President of Council or their designee, and the district council member for the site being reviewed.  
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• Ordinance 381-18 which would increase the fine paid by owners of towed vehicles from $125 to $145. Storage fees for the vehicles would increase by $5 for each category of vehicle type. The ordinance would also increase the amount paid to companies that perform the tows from $75 to $85. Additional revenue from the fees will benefit the city’s general fund.

 

• Ordinance 385-18 which would transfer the city’s ownership of the 52-unit Uptown Arts Apartments complex at 336 14th Street to developer Uptown Place, LLC at a cost of $175,000. Adams Street Limited Partnership, LLC, the current lease owner, owns improvements that it had made on the property due to an existing development agreement with the city. Adams Street Limited Partnership also intends to sell its ownership interests to Uptown Place. Rent restrictions are included in the sale agreement in consideration of current rent affordability requirements attached to funding previously used to develop the property.

 

• Ordinance 389-19 which would approve $407,343 from the CIP fund for equipment to retrofit trucks for vacuum leaf collection. The city desires to have the upgrades operational for the 2019 leaf collection program.

 

• Ordinances 396-18 and 397-18 which would respectively approve Talbot Clinical Services of Ohio, LLC’s applications for a zone change and special use permit to facilitate adding residential treatment operations at an existing outpatient drug and alcohol treatment facility at 727-735 Euclid Avenue and 732 Main Street. The applications were recently approved by Council’s Zoning & Planning Committee.

 
All Council meetings are held in Council Chambers on the first floor of One Government Center, located on Jackson Boulevard in downtown Toledo.

​​​Tim Schneider
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​As Manager for Local Government Advocacy, Tim Schneider advocates for local policies and laws that safeguard and foster a pro-business environment in the Toledo Region. Tim has more than 10 years of legislative and public policy experience with the local, state and federal levels of government.