CITY OF VANCOUVER

SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES

JUNE 13/22, 2000

A Special Meeting of the Council of the City of Vancouver was held on Tuesday, June13, 2000, at 7:40 p.m., in the Council Chamber, Third Floor, City Hall, for the purpose of holding a Public Hearing to consider proposed amendments to the Sign By-law. The Public Hearing was subsequently reconvened on Thursday, June 22, 2000, at 7:40 p.m. with the same members present, with the exception of Councillor Kennedy (on Sick Leave).

PRESENT: Mayor Philip Owen

Councillor Fred Bass
Councillor Jennifer Clarke
Councillor Lynne Kennedy
Councillor Daniel Lee
Councillor Don Lee
Councillor Tim Louis
Councillor Sandy McCormick
Councillor Gordon Price

ABSENT: Councillor Kennedy (Sick Leave - June 22)

Councillor George Puil (Leave of Absence)
Councillor Sam Sullivan (Leave of Absence)

CITY CLERK’S
OFFICE: Tarja Tuominen, Meeting Coordinator

COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

MOVED by Cllr. Don Lee,
SECONDED by Cllr. Sullivan,

THAT this Council resolve itself into Committee of the Whole, Mayor Owen in the Chair, to consider proposed amendments to the Sign By-law.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

1. Sign By-law Text Amendment: Location of Billboards

An application by the Director of Current Planning was considered as follows:

Summary: The proposed text amendment to the Sign By-law would not permit billboards to be located within 60 meters of a residential zone.

The Director of City Plans recommended approval of a motion made by City Council on April 18, 2000, and included in the agenda before Council this evening.

Staff Comments

Pat Johnson, Planner, reviewed the background to the proposed amendment to the Sign By-law. Staff support the amendment to prevent billboards to be located within 60 meters or 200 feet from a residential zone. However, the amendment, if adopted, will put more pressure on those areas which already have billboards. It will prevent new billboards from being located within the 60 metres, but will not result in the removal of any existing signs. Council’s powers regarding the removal of signs are set out in the Vancouver Charter: existing signs can only be ordered down if they are non-conforming for a minimum of five years. In addition, removal of each sign has to be voted on separately by Council, requiring a two-thirds majority in favour of removal. In the past years, companies have removed non-conforming signs voluntarily.

In response to questions, Ms. Johnson advised:

· staff do not have an accurate count of how many billboards are located in the city; it would require staff to drive every street to count the structures;
· video billboards are not allowed under the current by-laws;
· Council does have the power to devise neighbourhood-limited billboard bans.

Summary of Correspondence

Council was advised the following correspondence was received since the date the application was referred to Public Hearing:

· one letter and two ‘e’-mails opposed to billboards in residential neighbourhoods

· six ‘e’-mails opposed to billboards in general

· one letter and one ‘e’-mail in support of the proposed amendment

· 11 letters opposed to the proposed amendment

Clause No. 1 (cont’d)

Speakers

Mayor Owen called for speakers for and against the application.

The following spoke in support of the proposed amendment to the Sign By-law:

· Ann Roberts, Kensington-Cedar Cottage CityPlan Committee
· David Cadman, Society Promoting Environmental Conservation
· Letter read on behalf of Mark Lawrence by Mrs. Lawrence
· Helen Spiegelman, Dunbar Residents and Business Associations
· Mary Sherlock
· Nancy Alexander
· Ron Eckert
· Kim Stansfield
· Susan Adams
· Bruce Coates
· Ken Baker (letter filed)
· Bill Edbrooke
· Jim Grierson
· John Colenutt
· Valerie Howander
· Linda Wishart
· Stephen Hunter
· Sharon MacNeill
· Maeve Moran
· Alex Martin
· Eleanor O’Donnell
· Gary Trowski

The foregoing speakers’ points are summarized as follows:

· Strongly support the proposed amendment; however, urge Council to consider banning all billboards in the City of Vancouver;
· Billboards violate the work of CityPlan to plan a greener, lively pedestrian heart to neighbourhoods;
· Billboards are visual pollution, intrusive and an invasion of neighbourhood space;
· Billboards use public space to make a profit and offer nothing to the public;
· Billboards offend and do not improve the community nor provide any community benefit;
· There is no justification for the continued presence of billboards; local small businesses rarely utilize them;
Clause No. 1 (cont’d)

· Billboards have gotten out of control in the past two or three years;
· Residents are opposed to the strong lights from the billboards, the noise of transformers and the grating of the signs and having billboards located immediately next to their home;
· Residents request restricting index rotating signs;
· Whose interests do billboards address? Billboard companies do not consult area residents before putting up billboards.

John Moonen, Pattison Outdoor, described the current restrictions for billboards and the effect the proposed amendment would have. However, Pattison Outdoor accepts the distance of 60 metres to the residential zone and will support the proposed amendment.

The following opposed the proposed amendment:

· Bob Sinclair, Outdoor Advertising Association of Canada (brief filed)
· Geoffrey Lee
· David Struthers
· Fran Hackatt
· Wayne Ellis (letter filed)
· Sylvester Spagnuolo
· Joe Lepore
· Dan Bennett
· Walt Swanson
· Norm Gallicano (letters filed)
· Hugh Madden
· Blair Murdoch, Outdoor Advertising Association of Canada (brief filed)
· Simon Terlinden
· Chris Mackenzie, Omni

The foregoing speakers’ points are summarized as follows:

· The proposed 60-metre restriction would make it nearly impossible to find new suitable sites;
· The proposed amendment would stifle growing competition and would not allow new available sites;
· Billboards are an effective means of communication not just for advertising of products but also for charities and community groups;
· The illumination from billboards helps prevent crime in high crime districts;
· Billboard companies provide employment;
· The proposed amendment would put severe limits on the industry and it would be difficult for the outdoor advertising business to continue to develop;
Clause No. 1 (cont’d)

· The Outdoor Advertising Association of Canada proposes the following recommendations:

· the following compromise to the proposed amendments: adding a 20-metre buffer to back and sides of signs;
· while the compromise is implemented, continue working on changing the by-law, including the 20-metre setback from the front faces of buildings;
· the City to conduct a study on the economic impact of the industry, including jobs and taxes;
· review the entire by-law to attempt to find solutions that benefit the city, residents and industry.

· The rights of commercial property owners are being trampled on; their opportunities to lease billboards will dry up as will the lease revenue which assists them in paying property taxes;
· Commercial property owners were not consulted about the proposed amendment;
· The choice for advertisers will be limited;
· Billboards are a source of creativity and amusement and are an effective medium for advertisers;
· The proposed amendment does not take into consideration that railway right of ways are considered residential and therefore billboards will be excluded from those areas as well.

Staff Closing Comments

Pat Johnson reiterated staff support the proposed amendment which addresses the impacts of billboards in residential areas and will prohibit billboards on commercially zoned streets outside of the downtown area. The 20 meter setback as proposed by the billboard industry would not deal with all of the problem billboards. Regarding notification, staff notified all business and merchant associations. In addition, the proposed amendment replaces a clause which, in 1990, was removed from the Sign By-law at the request of the billboard industry.

MOVED by Cllr. Louis,

THAT the application by the Director of Current Planning to amend the Sign By-law, Billboards Section 10.3.2: Location, Spacing, and Finishing, Part (c) (i) to remove the words "measured perpendicularly to the copy area at its mid point" be approved.

- amended

Clause No. 1 (cont’d)

AMENDMENT MOVED by Cllr. Clarke,

THAT the proposed by-law be amended so that the 60 meter measurement will not apply to residentially zoned land used as rail right-of-way where the adjacent sites already permit billboards.

- CARRIED

(Councillor Louis opposed)

MOTION AS AMENDED

THAT the application by the Director of Current Planning to amend the Sign By-law, Billboards Section 10.3.2: Location, Spacing, and Finishing, Part (c) (i) to remove the words "measured perpendicularly to the copy area at its mid point" be approved.

FURTHER THAT the proposed by-law be amended so that the 60 meter measurement will not apply to residentially zoned land used as rail right-of-way where the adjacent sites already permit billboards.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

RISE FROM COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

MOVED by Cllr. Don Lee,

THAT the Committee of the Whole rise and report.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

ADOPT REPORT OF COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

MOVED by Cllr.Don Lee,
SECONDED by Cllr. Louis,

THAT the report of the Committee of the Whole be adopted, and the Director of Legal Services be instructed to prepare and bring forward the necessary by-law amendments.

- CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

The Special Council recessed at 10:30 p.m. on June 13, 2000
and adjourned at 10:20 p.m. on June 22, 2000.

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(c) 1998 City of Vancouver