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Report To: Planning and Development Committee
Date of Meeting: April 3, 2017
Report Number: PSD-025-17
File Number: SBA2017-0001
Resolution Number:PD-060-17 PD-061-17 C-100-17
By-law Number: 2017-039
Report Subject: An Application by Bloomfield Farms to amend Sign By-law 2009-123
to permit an electronic message board sign on an agricultural
property located at 3745 Highway 2, Newcastle
Recommendations:
1.That Report PSD-025-17 be received;
2.That the Sign By-law Amendment application submitted by Bloomfield Farms be denied;
and
3.That all interested parties listed in Report PSD-025-17 and any delegations be advised of
Council’s decision.
Municipality of Clarington
Report PSD-025-17 Page 2
Report Overview
Bloomfield Farms on Highway 2 east of Newcastle have submitted a Sign By-law Amendment
to permit an electronic message board sign as part of a pylon sign. Bloomfield Farms is an
agricultural property that includes a permitted on-farm diversified use for hosting events,
including weddings. Sign By-law 2009-123 does not permit electronic message board signs on
agricultural properties. Staff recommends denying the by-law amendment application to permit
an electronic message board sign.
1. Application Details
1.1. Owner: Nancy Mallette
1.2. Applicant: Bloomfield Farms
1.3. Proposal: To amend Sign By-law 2009-123 to permit a 5.97 square meter
pylon sign with a 2.60 square meter electronic message board
sign on an agricultural property.
1.4. Location: 3745 Highway 2, Newcastle
2. Background
2.1. On March 13, 2017, Bloomfield Farms submitted an application for a sign by-law
amendment to permit a a 5.97 square meter pylon sign with a 2.60 square meter
electronic message board sign on an agricultural property. The proposed sign meets the
display area size and height provisions of the Sign By-law.
2.2 Sign By-law 2009-123 regulates signs on private property across the Municipality. The
Sign By-law is a result of an extensive public and stakeholder input process that included
visual preference studies and examined specific areas of the Municipality.
The general intent of Sign By-law 2009-123 is to provide the parameters necessary for
businesses, residents and local organizations to display signs which successfully
promote business and community without creating an overwhelming and/or unattractive
environment in the process.
In 2011 staff consulted with members of seasonal related businesses to understand the
issues they were facing related to signage. Seasonal related businesses included uses
such as garden centers, farm stands, pick your own, golf courses and event venues,
including wedding venues. After consultation staff proposed and Council approved a
general amendment to Sign By-law 2009-123 to specifically allow additional signage
options on Agricultural properties to address seasonal related businesses, which can
include on-farm diversified uses. The amendment allowed seasonal related businesses
to have a mobile sign on the property continuously from April 1 to December 31. The
amendment also permitted pylon and monolith signs with a sign area of 7.5 square
meters and a maximum height of 5 meters.
Municipality of Clarington
Report PSD-025-17 Page 3
The amendment allowed a maximum of 80% of the sign display area on a monolith or
pylon sign to be a non-electronic message board. Electronic message board signs were
specifically not permitted on monolith or pylon signs within the amendment.
3. Existing and Proposed Signage
The property located at 3745 Highway 2 is east of Newcastle. The property is
surrounded on all sides by agricultural uses. There are some rural residential properties
east of the property approaching Stephenson Road.
Bloomfield Farms currently has a pylon sign and a mobile sign at the entrance to the
property (see Figure 1). The exact sign area and height measurements of the existing
signs are not known.
Figure 1: Existing Bloomfield signs facing Highway 2 looking west
The applicant is proposing to replace the existing pylon sign with a new pylon sign that
will include an electronic message board sign (see Figure 2). The proposed sign will
have a height of 4.27 meters (14 feet) and a total display area of 6 square meters (64.3
square feet). The electronic message board display area will represent 43.6% of the total
sign display area. The applicant is proposing to have no flashing or scrolling text and a
minimum of 30 seconds between the messages changing.
Municipality of Clarington
Report PSD-025-17 Page 4
Figure 2: Proposed new pylon sign with electronic message board sign
4.Discussion
Sign By-law 2009-123 permits pylon signs on Agricultural properties with a maximum sign
area of 7.5 square meters (80.7 square feet) and a maximum height of 5 meters (16’4”
feet). The sign must include the property address and have a minimum of one meter
between grade and the bottom of the sign display area. Seasonal related business pylon
signs may also have a maximum of 80% of the sign as a non-electronic message display
area.
Municipality of Clarington
Report PSD-025-17 Page 5
The signage permissions for seasonal related businesses are very similar to the
permissions for commercial signage located in the urban areas. The differences are
pylon signs on commercial properties can be higher (a maximum height of 7.5 meters),
must have greater clearance from the ground (a minimum of 2.4 meters) and can have an
electronic message board sign.
The 2011 the Sign By-law amendments for seasonal related businesses allowed pylon
and monolith signs with reduced height and did not allow electronic display signs. The
amendment was done to provide more options to seasonal related businesses while
ensuring the character of the rural area was not negatively impacted.
In 2014 the Province of Ontario updated the Provincial Policy Statement which provided
increased support for secondary agricultural and on-farm diversified uses. The Province
has recently released Guidelines on Permitted Uses in prime agricultural areas. The
changes to the provincial policy increased the uses that can be considered as secondary
or on-farm diversified uses on agricultural properties.
It is anticipated that the Municipality may see an increase in Zoning By-law applications to
permit on-farm diversified uses, and more specifically wedding venues. A number of
inquiries for pre-consultation meetings have been received.
The proposed sign conforms to the size allowed for signage for seasonal related
businesses under the Sign By-law. The requested amendment is specific to the
electronic message board. The request is for a similar permission as a commercial
property (50% of total sign display).
The impact on surrounding rural properties must be considered in reviewing applications.
In addition, if the electronic message board was allowed for seasonal related businesses,
it is anticipated that more applications to amend the Sign By-law to allow similar signs
would occur in the future. Given the number of existing on-farm diversified uses and the
increase in permissions allowed for on-farm diversified uses by the Provincial Policy
Statement the potential proliferation of electronic message board signs in the rural area is
a concern and, in staff’s view, not appropriate.
5.Concurrence
Not Applicable
6.Conclusion
Council amended the Sign By-law in 2011 to provide additional signage options for
seasonal related businesses in the agricultural area. The addition of an electronic
message board sign would allow signage very similar to commercial properties found in
urban areas.
It is respectfully recommended that the application to amend Sign By-law 2009-123 to
permit an electronic message board sign be denied.
Municipality of Clarington
Report PSD-025-17 Page 6
7.Strategic Plan Application
The recommendation to not allow electronic signs in the agricultural area is in keeping
with 3.4 and 3.5 of the Strategic Plan. It reinforces our “small town” feel through tourism
initiatives and showcasing our agriculture and small town attributes.
Submitted by: Reviewed by:
David J. Crome, MCIP, RPP Curry Clifford, MPA, CMO,
Director of Planning Services Interim CAO
Staff Contact: Brandon Weiler, Planner, 905-623-3379 ext. 2424 or bweiler@clarington.net
The following is a list of the interested parties to be notified of Council’s decision:
Nancy Mallette
BW/FL/df
I:\^Department\LDO NEW FILING SYSTEM\Application Files\SBA Sign By-law Amendment\SBA2017-0001 3745 Highway 2 (Bloomfield)\Staff Report\PSD-025-17.docx