Council is considering beefing up the rules regarding colours and quantities of mobile signs in use throughout the city.
While discussing a series of draft recommendations for an updated sign bylaw on Monday, several council members expressed an interest in reducing “sign pollution” and distractions for drivers.
“I’m starting to see larger, taller, more,” Coun. Mike Salsbury said of the draft recommendations, using sign proliferation along Hespeler Road in Cambridge as an example of what he doesn’t want to see happen here. “I would be surprised if our community would want to go in that direction.”
He was not alone in that interpretation of the direction of the draft bylaw recommendations.
“I was hoping to see less and smaller,” added Coun. Leanne Caron, noting signs have become a marketing tool. “For me, the purpose of signage is way-finding.”
During Monday’s meeting, council members were asked to provide feedback on draft recommendations for an updated sign bylaw. Their feedback is now to be taken into account for the official bylaw recommendations which are slated to come forward for approval early next year.
Many of the recommended changes focus on updating the definitions and different types of signs to match current technologies and uses. There are, however, also several rule changes proposed in the draft recommendations presented to the committee.
Among them are:
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Require mobile signs to be at least 15 metres from a signalized intersection (Caron suggested all traffic signals, including stop signs)
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Remove limit of five mobile signs per mall but continue limit of one per business, still with a 30-day limit per sign and a limit of four signs per year
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Increase the height of permissible portable signs from 1 metre to 1.2 metres
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Give staff the authority to approve or refuse sign bylaw variance requests, though decisions can be appealed to council
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Provide detailed descriptions and authorities for refusing, revoking, cancellation and expiry of permits
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Not require permits for a portable sign on private property, as is now the case, though a permit will be required for downtown portable signs on public property; portable signs not permitted on public property outside of the downtown
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Double the limit on real estate open house signs from four to eight, but restrict their display to between two hours before the open house and two hours after. (Coun. Mark MacKinnon suggested six hours before an open house)
Council members didn’t limit themselves to the draft recommendations in front of them. Several took aim at the proliferation of mobile signs and urged rules to tone them down visually.
“I really would like to see something come back restricting the use of colours,” commented Coun. Dominique O’Rourke. “It becomes a shouting match (between multiple signs in an area).”
Fluorescent mobile signs were also the focus for resident Ian Brown, the sole delegate who spoke to the recommendations. He urged council to restrict the use of bright colours on a black background, much like the municipalities of Brampton, Vaughan, Collingwood and Stratford.
“They’re very large. They’re everywhere. … They have one purpose and that’s to yell and scream at passersby, specifically cars,” he said. “They’re certainly not the type of streetscapes we should be aspiring for. ... They’re visual pollution.”
He also suggested mobile signs should be restricted to four per property instead of four per business.
“Our appearance should always be a top priority,” he said. “This is not pioneering. This is best practices.”
Bill Bond, the city’s senior bylaw administrator, described the proposed quantity of mobile signs a compromise between what sign proponents asked for and urban design guidelines.
“I can assure you it was considered through an urban design perspective as well. The group was comprehensive and I do note that the sign industry was within that group, but there was an internal working group as well that did consist of planning staff, which did review the proposals,” he explained.
“We definitely can investigate that further.”
The city’s current sign bylaw was approved in 1996. For the past three years, an average of eight variance requests, to do something beyond the scope of what’s permitted, have been made.
The draft recommendations were presented to the committee of the whole following a comprehensive bylaw review launched in January 2018. Since that time there’s been a number of stakeholder and public engagement efforts undertaken to gather input and feedback, including workshops, surveys and direct consultations.
