ELYRIA — The city’s chief building official is suing the city’s Board of Zoning Appeals because it gave a company the OK to erect a billboard on North Abbe Road.

The zoning board granted a variance that would allow William Holland, president of Holland Computers, to build the billboard and face it toward the Ohio Turnpike, which passes by his business on an overpass.

The building permit that would allow construction to start is on hold while the fight plays out in Lorain County Common Pleas Court.

Assistant Law Director Michael Szekley said Chief Building Official Phil Lahetta and Mayor Bill Grace didn’t agree with the decision and ordered him to take the rare step of filing an appeal challenging the variance.

“It’s a very unusual thing to do,” he said.

Szekley said Lahetta, who declined to comment, opposed the variance at a May 1 meeting, saying the billboard “goes against the principles of the design review guidelines.”

Grace said the zoning board went against the recommendation of the city, which for the last 15 years has been trying to limit billboards.

“It’s based on the appearance of our community and the blight it presents on the city,” he said.

Holland said he did everything he was supposed to do and was granted the variance, a requirement since the area’s business zoning wouldn’t permit him and partner company Smith Signs, which plans to rent out the billboard, to construct a billboard.

“It’s ridiculous,” he said of the lawsuit.

No one else, Holland said, including the neighbors, complained about the billboard at the meeting except for the city.

“There’s no reason for them to disallow the sign,” he said.

Grace said although Holland followed the proper procedure, he still doesn’t believe the sign should be allowed.

Zoning board chairwoman Lillie Fountain declined to comment.

Contact Brad Dicken at 329-7147 or bdicken@chroniclet.com.

 

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