SUPPORTS ITEM NO. 2 P&E COMMITTEE AGENDA AUGUST 1, 1996 ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT Date: July 23, 1996 Dept. File No. 2122-24 TO: Standing Committee on Planning & Environment FROM: General Manager of Engineering Services SUBJECT: Welcome to Kitsilano Sign RECOMMENDATION A. THAT the General Manager of Engineering Services be authorized to permit the installation of an unlit "Welcome to Kitsilano" sign on the west median at Burrard and Cornwall Streets, at no cost to the City, with the location and design of the sign to the satisfaction of the General Manager of Engineering Services. or CONSIDERATION B. THAT the General Manager of Engineering Services be authorized to permit the installation of a lit "Welcome to Kitsilano" sign on the west median at Burrard and Cornwall Streets, at a cost to the City of approximately $7,800 in 1996, source of funding to be the Contingency Reserve, with ongoing operating costs of approximately $1,200 to be funded from the Operating Budget without offset, with the location and design of the sign to the satisfaction of the General Manager of Engineering Services. GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS The General Manager RECOMMENDS approval of A. If Council does not approve A, then B is submitted for Council's CONSIDERATION. B is advanced at the request of the Kitsilano Chamber of Commerce, but is not recommended because the General Manager does not support illuminated community signs nor the added cost to the City. COUNCIL POLICY Under the Charter, the City owns and controls all street allowance, and has permitted other local neighbourhoods to erect signs, artwork, and banners. PURPOSE The purpose of this report is to inform Council of a request by the Kitsilano Chamber of Commerce to design, install, and pay for an unlit "Welcome to Kitsilano" sign on City property at the median that divides Cornwall Street west of Burrard Street, at no cost to the City. This request is supported by the General Manager of Engineering Services. The Kitsilano Chamber of Commerce has also asked that Council consider a request for the sign to be illuminated, with the City paying for the added capital and operating costs for the lighting. The request to illuminate the sign is presented for Council's consideration but is not recommended by the General Manager of Engineering Services. DISCUSSION The General Manager of Engineering Services supports community-based signs on City property where there is room, they are safe, not illuminated, and they promote the local neighbourhood, as in Kerrisdale, Gastown, Mt.Pleasant and Southlands. The request from the Kitsilano Chamber of Commerce to design, install, and pay for an unlit "Welcome to Kitsilano" sign is consistent with this policy and is supported by the General Manager. The proposed sign would be designed to the satisfaction of the General Manager, incorporating design elements unique to Kitsilano such as pebbles, boulders, logs, and carved images of buildings in the area. It would be located on City property at the median that divides Cornwall Street west of Burrard Street. A draft sketch of the proposed sign is attached as Appendix A. The west median at Burrard and Cornwall may be affected by changes proposed in an upcoming report to Council on the upgrading of the Burrard Bridge. Changes contemplated may include a left turn bay, which is illustrated in Appendix B. The General Manager will locate the "Welcome to Kitsilano" sign so that it does not affect any changes to the intersection that may be contemplated by Council while addressing the Burrard Bridge options. The General Manager will require the Kitsilano Chamber of Commerce to be responsible for maintenance and third party liability via a letter of agreement. In addition to seeking approval for the placement of the sign on City property, the Kitsilano Chamber of Commerce has also requested that the sign be illuminated, and that the City pay for the added capital and operating costs of the lighting. Due to the increasing frequency of requests for community signs, the General Manager is drafting a written policy. One of the key guidelines is that these signs not be illuminated, primarily to minimize capital and operating costs, to not compete with more important traffic and pedestrian signs, and to not be aesthetically overbearing. For these reasons, the General Manager does not support the request of the Kitsilano Chamber of Commerce for this sign to be illuminated nor for the City to pay for the capital and operating costs for the lighting. FUNDING If Council approves A, an unlit "Welcome to Kitsilano" will be designed and installed at no cost to the City. The Kitsilano Chamber of Commerce has been awarded a time limited matching grant from the provincial government for this sign, up to a total of $6,000. If Council does not approve A, but approves B which is advanced only as a consideration, the cost to the City of installation of the conduit and fixtures plus power for 1996 is estimated to be $7,800, which would have to be funded from Contingency Reserve. An additional $1,200 per year thereafter for power and maintenance would have to be funded from the Operating Budget with no offset. CONCLUSIONS It is recommended that the General Manager of Engineering Services be authorized to permit the installation of an unlit "Welcome to Kitsilano" sign on the west median at Burrard and Cornwall Streets, at no cost to the City, with the location and design to the satisfaction of the General Manager of Engineering Services. Council is also asked to consider a request from the Kitsilano Chamber of Commerce for the sign to be lit, at a cost to the City of approximately $7,800 in 1996, and approximately $1,200 per year thereafter for power and maintenance. This consideration is not recommended because the General Manager does not support illuminated community signs nor the added cost to the City. * * * * *