COUNCIL REPORT - DEVELOPMENT VARIANCE PERMIT 2024-02 – 498 ISLAND HIGHWAY

DEVELOPMENT VARIANCE PERMIT 2024-02 – 498 ISLAND HIGHWAY

RECOMMENDATION:

THAT Development Variance Permit 2024-02 be approved as per the report dated October 29, 2024, from the Community Planner titled “Development Variance Permit 2024-02 Island Highway” and include the following variances to Sign Bylaw No. 950:

• replace an existing changeable copy sign with an electronic changeable copy sign; and
• increase the maximum height permitted for the location of a wall sign from 4.5 metres to 7.0 metres.

AND FURTHER THAT:

1. The applicant works with Town staff to prepare and execute a legal agreement to restrict the electronic changeable copy sign to have text messages or images for a minimum of thirty (30) seconds (change interval), and control display brightness of the sign, prior to the issuance of the Development Variance Permit, to the satisfaction of the Director of Development Services; and
2. The applicant reimburses the Town for all legal costs incurred by the Town with the preparation and execution of the legal agreement.

ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS:

That Council decline the Development Variance Permit Application 2024-02 for the 498 Island Highway.

PURPOSE:

To consider Development Variance Permit Application 2024-02 for 498 Island Highway. The applicant is requesting two (2) variances to the Sign Bylaw, to replace an existing changeable copy sign for an electronic changeable message sign; and to increase the maximum height permitted for the location of a wall sign from 4.5 metres to 7.0 metres.

BACKGROUND:

The subject property is located at 498 Island Highway and is currently zoned C-7 Business Park Commercial. The property which is approximately 7,836.46m² in size, contains two separate commercial buildings; the first is the Six Mile Pub and Eatery and, and the second is the 6 Mile Liquor Express.

Figure 1: Site Plan

Figure 2: Sign Location

ANALYSIS:

At the Committee of the Whole (COW) meeting on July 9, 2024, the Committee passed the following motion:

THAT the report dated July 2, 2024 from the Community Planner titled “Development Variance Permit 2024-02 – 498 Island Highway” be received for information.

At the COW meeting, the Committee discussed the form and character of the proposed sign, light pollution, location of the sign on the building, and potential conditions that could be imposed in a legal agreement.

At the time, staff did not support the proposed development variance application, for the following reasons:

1. The proposed sign type is prohibited under the Town’s current Sign Bylaw.
2. Only a handful of electronic changeable copy signs in Town. This sign differs in that the sign will be able to display graphics (images and/or videos).
3. Concerns that the residents in the strata may experience light pollution at night from the sign.
4. Section 7.2 of the Sign Bylaw regulates the character size of any proposed sign. The Town would not be able to regulate character size for the proposed sign.

Since the initial application was brought forward to the Committee, the applicant has provided staff with additional information through a second letter to Mayor and Council responding to some of the concerns that had been discussed during the meeting (Attachment 1).

The applicant informed staff that digital signs that are text-only displays such as the signs installed at the Fire Department, or the 4 Mile Pub are no longer available as the technology has since been replaced by signs that display text and graphics.

Furthermore, the applicant has confirmed that there will be display setting control methods for the sign and that the applicant is willing to work with staff to ensure that the display settings are appropriate once installed. Moreover, the applicant is willing to register a legal agreement on title to control the transition time between messages or images, and display brightness (including utilizing daytime/night-time display settings) (refer to Attachment 4). Similar permits of this type have required applicants to have a 30 second transition time between messages.

Staff discussed with the applicant the possibility of changing the location of the sign to the existing freestanding sign for the Six Mile Pub. However, the owners of the pub believed that the sign would be too low and serve no effective purpose. Furthermore, the applicant had some concerns about preserving the sight-line triangle at the intersection. As mentioned previously, there are not many locations that a new sign could be installed on the building. The current and proposed sign location provides the preferred location for the applicant for visibility by both pedestrian and/or vehicles to see advertisements.

Staff recommend that Council authorize the issuance of the Development Variance Permit subject to the conditions outlined in the Staff recommendation.

Impacts and implications can be summarized as follows:

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION GOAL:

The desired level of public participation for the recommended option is:

[x] Inform
[ ] Consult
[ ] Involve
[ ] Collaborate
[ ] Empower
[ ] N/A

TIME CRITICAL:

There are no time considerations for this report.

CONCURRENCE:

REVIEWED BY:

ATTACHMENTS:

1. Letters to Mayor and Council
2. Committee of the Whole Report dated July 9, 2024
3. Sign Plans – KnightSigns
4. Email from applicant dated October 30, 2024