Don’t sign Barrie up just yet for an oversized billboard, with two digital display boards, at the Highway 400 ONroute.
Council couldn’t decide Wednesday night whether or not to grant an exemption to the city’s sign bylaw to Permit World, which applied on behalf of ONroute and the province for the variance at 201 Fairview Rd.
Instead, the matter was referred to the May 8 general committee meeting.
The proposed sign is higher and bigger than what is permitted by Barrie’s bylaw.
“It is very large, it is a very big highway eyesore coming into the core of our city,” said Coun. Amy Courser, who opposes the exemption.
“I think a sign which is that large at our doorstep … sends a message that robs us of our character and authenticity," she added.
“There are thousands of people who go by this site every day,” said Coun. Clare Riepma. “I don’t think a sign that is twice as high and 50 per cent bigger than what our bylaws provide is appropriate.
“The only purpose of a sign is for people to look at it,” he added. “And frankly, with all those people driving on the highway, I’d prefer that they be looking at the other cars and not at the signs.”
The Ward 1 councillor also said he has concerns about the precedent set for signs at other locations along the highway in Barrie.
Mayor Alex Nuttall reported Wednesday on talks on this matter he had with Ontario Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria.
Nuttall said Barrie will be able to get its message, such as welcoming people to the city, on the billboards, but at this point there is no formal agreement.
Deputy Mayor Robert Thomson asked if council denied the bylaw exemption, would there be a sign anyway?
“My guess? We’re getting a sign either way,” said Nuttall, who did not elaborate.
Riepma asked if the city would get any revenue from the sign.
“We’re not making any money,” Nuttall said. “We weren’t invited to the program to make money.”
The mayor has said this deal allows for ONroute, an advertising partner, and the province to all receive a financial benefit from use of the signs, presumably from advertising.
At one point, an amendment was proposed that the word "denied" in the motion be replaced with "approved" for an exemption to the city’s sign bylaw, that all other provisions of the sign bylaw apply and that the exemption be approved in compliance with direction from Ontario’s minister of transportation.
But there was some question about whether an amendment contrary to the motion is allowed, and the matter was sent back to general committee before it was voted upon.
Permit World applied for a permanent exemption to the city’s sign bylaw to place a billboard sign, with two digital display boards, on commercial property owned by the province, and occupied by an ONroute "travel plaza" and gas station, at 201 Fairview Rd., in Barrie.
The proposed sign would be 15.2 metres high and have an overall advertising area of 60.82 metres, so it would exceed the maximum height of 7.5 metres permitted by an additional 7.7 metres. The maximum advertising area is 40 square metres for sign faces, so what’s proposed would exceed what’s allowed by 20.82 sq. m.
The property is also not vacant or undeveloped, as 201 Fairview contains the ONroute facilities and a gasoline station, which is required by the bylaw for these types of signs.
This application was made as part of a provincial initiative between Permit World, ONroute,and Ontario’s Ministry of Transportation (MTO), to install poster panel signs with two digital display boards at all 23 ONroute locations in the province.
The circumstances of the Barrie request are unique, however, as 201 Fairview is within city jurisdiction, with the property being owned by the MTO. The majority of ONroute locations are in rural locations, outside of urban centres.
The property at 201 Fairview is zoned commercial, which allows for the placement of a poster panel sign. The proposed billboard’s placement is within the Highway 400 corridor boundaries, where signs require the MTO’s approval.
There is an MTO order that allows the billboard, but it must also meet all requirements of the local municipality.
Melanie Teed-Murch, CEO of ONroute, said this is part of a $20-million, decade-long pilot project at the 23 ONroute locations.
Shawna Petzoid of Permit World has said while these properties are owned by the province, ONroute manages their operation, and the province and ONroute are partners in the development, construction and the financial details.
These billboards can be used to display messages to the travelling public, such as severe weather, dangerous road conditions, emergency road closures and amber alerts.
Petzoid has said Barrie is the only municipality that has applied sign bylaw regulations to the proposed billboards, and that all other Ontario municipalities have allowed the exemption from sign regulations.
She has also said Barrie’s sign bylaw is not designed to deal with digital billboards facing Highway 400.
