People may start to notice a few changes in the looks and types of signs in Grande Prairie. The city is one step closer to changing the sign bylaws to adjust things like sizing and placement. Speedpro Signs Owner Dave Metituk says the proposed changes will make his job easier.
“We can sit down with one of our customers and not go, well I know that’s what you want, it might get approved. Whereas now I feel strongly that we can sit down with our customers and have a great conversation and say yeah no that is going to get approved… It takes a lot of the questions out of the process.”
The idea for this latest set of changes was first brought up in March of 2018. In a letter, they proposed a number of adjustments including ones to third-party advertising, electronic message boards, signs found on the sides of businesses and billboards.
Driver Advertising Owner Murray Driver believes the changes will simplify the process for both them and the city.
“It wasn’t easy, there was give and take on both sides but at the end of the day, we both made concessions that we knew we needed to make to make it work and also it will really streamline the process. So a lot less work for city administration for each permit and a lot less work for industry for each permit.”
One amendment Metituk believes will help business owners the most is the changes to third-party advertising. The current bylaw only allows that kind of advertising to be on billboards or event signs.
Under the new rule, a smaller sign can be put up within 300 metres of the business it’s advertising for but needs to be at least 100 metres from another sign. Metituk believes the distance rules will help eliminates the ability to put a billboard up too close to the sign.
“The worry of council was that they were going to have signs popping up everywhere and that was the exact thing we didn’t want because what a lot of people don’t realize is hey the industry, we all live here too so we have to look at this stuff as well. This enables a small freestanding electric message display to contribute to their business community.”
The changes will be brought up at the next council meeting on January 14th. There, they will either be denied or approved.