Barrie is set to sign on the bottom line for an oversized billboard, with two digital display boards, at the Highway 400 ONroute near Essa Road.
Councillors granted an exemption to the city’s sign bylaw Wednesday night to Permit World, which applied on behalf of ONroute and the province, for the variance at 201 Fairview Rd. It could receive final approval at the May 15 council meeting.
The proposed sign is higher and larger than what is permitted by Barrie’s bylaw, but an Ontario Transportation Ministry (MTO) order allows it.
“We’re getting the sign whether we like it or not. That’s the reality of it,” said Coun. Gary Harvey.
The city is getting advertising opportunities on the sign, to promote Barrie, in return.
Mayor Alex Nuttall has had talks on this matter with Ontario Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria.
“All I have back from the minister is that they will work it out for us so we get advertising,” Nuttall said. “We have that in writing that he will make sure it happens.”
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.
Three councillors spoke against granting the variance.
“I think we have far too many signs already,” said Coun. Clare Riepma. “The view from the road is a public view and we don’t want to be cluttering it with private interests.
"I don’t think we need more signs along the highway and we certainly don’t need a big one like this," he added.
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.
“This being an overall height of double what’s permitted in our bylaws, and the overall sign of approximately 50 per cent larger that what is permitted in our bylaws,” said Coun. Ann-Marie Kungl.
The property is also not vacant or undeveloped, as 201 Fairview contains the ONroute facilities and a gas station, which is required by the bylaw for these types of signs.
Coun. Amy Courser raised concerns about the precedent the larger sign would set.
“If we around the table accept it and we vote on it, it does open the door for other businesses to come back to us (and ask for signs larger than the bylaw allows),” she said.
“I believe we need to stand our ground and say ‘no,' so when it does get shoved down our throat, then we can say it was forced upon us, it wasn’t something we voted for, we fought against it," Courser added.
But Coun. Jim Harris said the city needs to pick its battles.
“I appreciate the sense of the moral victory, but I don’t know if it’s actually something that we really want to aspire to,” he said. “The ministry has the authority, we believe, to make this happen. If that’s the case, we’re going to get a sign.”
“I think this is too small an issue to argue about," Nuttall said, "with all of the major issues we have with the province, that the province is working with us on."
Coun. Bryn Hamilton also said the city has bigger fish to fry.
“I’m cringing a little bit at the amount of time we are spending on this sign,” she said. “I think we have lost track, I think this has blown up into something that it probably shouldn’t have.
“There are big things we should be discussing at this table," added Hamilton, "and a sign for me is just not one of them.”
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.
This application was made as part of a provincial initiative between Permit World, ONroute and the 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.
Melanie Teed-Murch, CEO of ONroute, has 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’s sign bylaw is not designed to deal with digital billboards facing Highway 400.
The current sign bylaw is being reviewed by the city.
