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.
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