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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPSD-051-11C.l~t"~~~ton Leadiag the Way REPORT PLANNING SERVICES Meeting: GENERAL PURPOSE AND ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE Date: May 30, 2011 Resolution #:39.3-~1 By-law #: ~~~'O6~ Report #: PSD-051-11 File #: PLN 8.13 Subject: AMENDMENTS TO SIGN BY-LAW 2009-123 RECOMMENDATIONS: It is respectfully recommended that the General Purpose and Administration Committee recommend to Council the following: 1. THAT Report PSD-051-11 be received; 2. THAT the By-law to amend the Municipality of Clarington Sign By-law 2009-123 as per Attachment 1 to Report PSD-051-11 be approved; and 3. THAT all interested parties listed in Report PSD-051-11 and any delegations be advised of Council's decision. Submitted by: Reviewed by:~ ~~-- D i rome, MCIP, RPP Franktin Wu, Dire or, Planning Services Chief Administrative Officer IUFUdf 19 May 2011 OF THE OF CLARINGTON 40 STREET, REPORT NO.: PSD-051-11 1.0 BACKGROUND PAGE 2 1.1 The Sign By-law 2009-123 regulates signs on private property across the Municipality. When the Sign By-law was being reviewed extensive consultation was undertaken. Generally, the sign by-law has created a level playing field for all commercial enterprises and also reduced the visual clutter that Council and the community were seeking to address. As new issues are identified that were not addressed as part of the review, staff are bringing forward amendments to address these issues. Site specific issues are addressed by proposed amendment at the time of application. 1.2 It has recently been brought to staffs attention that the signage regulations contained within Sign By-law 2009-123 do not sufficiently address the signage needs of businesses that are seasonal and generally located in rural areas. Agricultural businesses that have a commercial component, such as garden centres, produce outlets, pick your own operations, and outdoor facilities, such as golf courses and driving ranges, are seasonal businesses that are not open during the winter months. As. such, their signage requirements are different from businesses that are open on a year round basis. 1.3 Staff have consulted with representatives of these businesses to determine how to address the seasonal nature of their business and provide for signage suited to their needs. The results are outlined below and affect the regulations in the Sign By-law in regards to temporary signs and permanent signs for agricultural and recreational land uses. 2.0 PROPOSED AMENDMENTS Mobile signs 2.1 The Sign By-law states that a maximum of three temporary sign permits for a mobile sign for a single business can be issued in one year provided that sixty days has elapsed between the expiry of the last sign permit and the mobile sign has been removed for a period of 60 days. This regulation meets the needs of businesses that are open year round as they have an entire year in which to choose to advertise for 60 day periods. Businesses that are closed during the winter months do not require advertising during that period. 2.2 Seasonal businesses particularly farm markets, golf course and driving ranges, require continuous promotion of products and specials during the months of the year that they are open. Sign By-law 2009-123 permits a mobile sign on a property for 60 days and then requires the sign to be removed for 60 days before another sign can be erected. The specific signage needs of seasonal businesses were not considered when drafting these regulations. 2.3 These businesses can open as early as April, if the weather permits, and can remain open until the year end. In order to give these businesses the opportunity to advertise during the period of the year that they are open to the public it is proposed that the Sign REPORT NO.: PSD-051-11 PAGE 3 By-law be amended to provide a definition of seasonal related businesses and permit such businesses to have continuous mobile signage from April 1St until December 31St 2.4 A temporary sign permit application is required for each mobile sign and the permit is valid for 60 days. Seasonal-related agricultural and golf related businesses would be required to pay a temporary sign permit application fee for every 60 day period, or portion thereof, that the sign is posted on the property. Monolith/Pvlon Signs 2.5 Seasonal businesses are generally located on rural lands outside of urban areas. Section 7.5 of the Sign By-law states that the type of sign allowed on a property is based on the use of the property, therefore, agricultural properties that have a commercial component and properties that have a recreational use would be allowed to have a monolith or pylon sign in accordance with Table 1, Signs Allowed by Property Use. 2.6 Section 7.10 Table 10 of the Sign By-law allows 50 percent of the display surface area of pylon or monolith signs to be used for an electronic message board. Electronic message board signage is appropriate in urban areas but is not suited to the rural environment. It is proposed that the Sign By-law be amended to permit only non- electronic message board signs on monolith or pylon signs on properties that have a commercial component in rural areas. A definition of anon-electronic message board sign is included in the amendment. 2.7 Motor vehicle traffic travels at a slower pace in the urban areas, therefore a message board area of 50% of the display surface area of a sign is of a sufficient size for motor vehicle and pedestrian traffic to read. In the rural areas where traffic speeds are higher it is requested that the message board area should be larger so that it is legible to the traveling public. It is proposed that the message board area be increased from 50 percent of the sign display area to 80 percent for monolith or pylon signs on agricultural properties with commercial components and recreational land use properties. 2.8 Monolith signs have a solid continuous base that is equal to the width of the sign and their sign display surface is limited to 1.5 metres above finished grade. These types of signs are commonly located on automotive dealerships and gas stations. Pylon signs are supported by one or more poles and their sign display area is limited to 2.44 metres above finished grade. It is recommended that the sign display area be lowered to 1 metre above finished grade for the Monolith/Pylon signs and correspondingly that the height also be reduced from 7.5 metres to 5 metres for commercial agricultural uses and properties that have a recreational land use. This would provide flexibility in the location display area and would allow for greater visibility and ease of updating the message. REPORT NO.: PSD-051-11 3.0 CONCLUSION PAGE 4 3.1 The proposed amendments to the Sign By-law are detailed in the amending by-law included in Attachment 1. Approval of the amending by-law will enhance the Sign By- law's comprehensiveness, while addressing the signage needs of seasonal business owners/operators and aid in protecting the scenic quality of Clarington's rural environment. S#aff Contact: Isabel Little Attachments: Attachment 1 -Proposed Sign By-law Amendment List of interested parties to be advised of Council's decision: Nancy Mallette Ted Watson Attachment 1 To Report PSD-051-11 CORPORATION OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF CLARINGTON BY-LAW NO. 2011- being a By-law to amend Sign ey-law 2009-123, as amended of the Municipality of Clarington WHEREAS Section 11 of the Municipal Act, 2001, Chapter 25, as amended, provides for the amendment of By-laws regulating or prohibiting the erection of signs; AND WHEREAS the Council of the Corporation of the Municipality of Clarington deems it advisable to amend By-law 2009-123, of the Corpotation of the Municipality of Clarington; NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT, the Council of the Corporation of the Municipality of Clarington enacts as follows: 1. Section 2 -INTERPRETATION OF BY-LAW is hereby amended be including the following new defnitions": 'NON-ELECTRONIC MESSAGE BOARD SIGN" means a sign which has messages displayed by non-electronic means. "SEASONAL-RELATED BUSINESS" means any business that is open to the public for limited periods through-out the calendar year, for farm retail sales or a golf course or a driving range. 2. Section 8.10 -Monolith/Pylon Signs is hereby amended by adding at the end of 8.10 iv): Monolith/Pylon signs on seasonal-related business properties. shall not have a sign display surface area located lower that 1 metre above frnished grade and shalt not be more than 5 metres in height". 3. Section 9 -EXCEPTIONS BY AMENDMENT is hereby amended by inserting the following new subsections By adding the following new subsection: "9.23 Notwithstanding Section 8.9 i) and Section 8.9ii), seasonal-related business are permitted to install temporary mobile signs on a continuous basis from April 1st to December 31b` in each calendar year. A temporary sign permit application fee must be paid for each 60 day period, or portion thereof, the sign remains on the property. 9.24 Notwithstanding Section 7.10 Table 3, electronic message board signs are not permitted on monolith or pylon signs on seasonal- re/ated business properties. A maximum of 80% of a sign display area on a monolith or pylon sign on seasonal-related business properties can be used for a nonelectronic message board. BY-LAW read. a f rst time this day of 2011 BY-LAW read a second time this day of 2011 BY-LAW read a third time and finally passed this day of 2011 Adrian Foster, Mayor Patti L. Barrie, Municipal Clerk