Attachment 1 - Letters to Mayor and Council (Five Star Permits)
Letter from a permit specialist requesting a variance to replace a manual readerboard with a digital message sign at Six Mile Pub.
May 24, 2024
Mayor Sid Tobias and Members of Council Town of View Royal 45 View Royal Ave Victoria BC V9B 1A6
Dear Mayor Tobias and Council:
Re: Development Variance Application Six Mile Pub
This letter is to request a variance of the Sign Bylaw for a new sign for the Six Mile Pub.
Currently they have a changeable copy sign that consists of a readerboard with plastic letters. It’s 1.27 m wide by 0.91 m tall. It’s located on the second floor of the building.
They would like to replace this with a digital changing message sign. The proposed size is 1.28 m wide by 0.96 m tall. It would be in the same place that the readerboard is now. A digital sign will be safer for staff to maintain, and be more pleasing to look at.
This new sign is fully programmable to automatically adjust the brightness according to the ambient light and time of day. Due to the roofline, the sign will not be visible from either side of the building.
Your approval is required because digital signs are prohibited in the Sign Bylaw under section 4.0 Prohibited Signs, subsection 4.1 (e) “changeable copy signs, including electronic message board signs.”
We hope that you will view this application favourably. Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Cy Atkinson Permit Specialist
May 24, 2024
Mayor Sid Tobias and Members of Council Town of View Royal 45 View Royal Ave Victoria BC V9B 1A6
Dear Mayor Tobias and Council:
Re: Development Variance Application Six Mile Pub, 494 Island Hwy / 498 Island Hwy
This letter is to request a variance of the Sign Bylaw for a new sign for the Six Mile Pub. Your approval is required because digital signs are prohibited in the Sign Bylaw under section 4.0 Prohibited Signs, subsection 4.1 (e) “changeable copy signs, including electronic message board signs.”
Current Signage
Currently the Pub has a changeable copy sign that consists of a readerboard with plastic letters, located on the second floor of the building. They would like to replace this with a digital changing message sign. A digital sign will be safer for staff to maintain and be more pleasing to look at.
- Current Sign: 1.27 m wide 0.91 m tall
- Proposed sign: 1.28 m wide 0.96 m tall
Comparable Digital Signs in View Royal
We understand that there are a small number of other digital signs that have been approved in the past, and that these are text-only displays. That technology is no longer available and has been replaced by signs that display text and graphics. When the existing signs cease to function, they will need to be replaced by new technology.
Brightness
The proposed sign has an automatic brightness sensor which dims the sign at night. The brightness settings are fully adjustable to any level which would be acceptable for the area and neighbours. During the day, the maximum brightness is set at 2000 nits. At night, an appropriate setting would be 200 nits. This level of light will not carry more than 50 m. We note that the nearest apartment building facing the sign is approximately 110 m away.
DVP Application for Six Mile Pub
Character Size
The current bylaw restricts character size to 70 cm tall for 20% of the message area, and 45 cm for other text. The proposed sign can be programmed to control the font size to meet these regulations.
Other Programming Options
Some of the other features available with this sign are:
- A minimum hold time for messages. Some municipalities regulate how long each message must be displayed. A minimum hold time of 6 seconds is common
- Instant transitions between messages
- Automatic turn-off at a set time
We hope that you will view this application favourably. Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Cy Atkinson Permit Specialist
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