After a relative of Ward 4 councillor Tim Lauer expressed concerns about the new electronic sign outside Orillia Secondary School (OSS), Lauer asked city staff to look into the “new wave” of signs to see if there are any provisions on the books to deal with them.
“At OSS, the sign is on the corner and it’s quite intrusive,” Lauer said upon requesting staff to delve into the matter. “(It seems) we do not have any provisions that cover this” and he wondered “what provisions may be required to control them going forward.”
Coun. Ted Emond said he, too, was concerned a proliferation of electronic signs “make us a little too (much like) Las Vegas.” He wondered if the “intrusive” signs are “within the character of the city.”
At Monday night’s council committee meeting, council agreed to adapt its sign bylaw in an effort to appease neighbours and ensure the signs aren’t flashing all night long. (Decisions made last night must be ratified at next week’s city council meeting.)
The electronically illuminated signs (EIS) were prohibited in Orillia until 2010 when the city’s sign bylaw was reviewed and updated.
For the most part, due to the expense of the technology – EIS are more expensive than traditional backlit signs – there are relatively few EIS in Orillia.
“EIS are gaining popularity most notably with institutional uses such as schools and places of worship due to the ability of the sign to remotely update and convey activity and events information,” noted a report from city staff.
The report noted “EIS share the same technologies as domestic flat screen televisions and computer monitors. As such, these types of signs can display programming and digital content in high definition and millions of colours. EIS have the ability to be very bright, but the technology also enables the brightness or intensity of the display to be set within specific intensity limits or be adjusted based on the time of day as well as ambient light conditions such as low light levels or bright sunlight.”
To date, the city has received no official complaints about the signs.
“However, there is the potential that EIS located at places of worship and schools within residential areas could create an adverse impact on nearby residential properties,” noted the report. “The potential intensity of the lighting technology does present the opportunity for a sign to become a distraction if not an unwelcomed visual annoyance particularly in areas with low overnight light levels.”
With that in mind, staff recommended that only one EIS be permitted per lot and that a maximum of 50% of the sign area be used for electronic illumination. When located within 120 metres (394 ft.) of a property zoned residential, open space, rural, or environmental protection the sign must be turned off between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.
Coun. Mason Ainsworth supported turning the sign off at night but wondered about the size restrictions. “I want to make sure we’re not handcuffing certain groups and that we’re addressing the issue” that was brought forward.
Jeff Duggan, the city’s senior planner, noted Orillia benchmarked regulations in nine other municipalities in developing the amendments. He noted the school board has “voluntarily offered” to turn off their signs at night.
“I think it’s a very reasonable compromise,” said Duggan. “It’s well considered and reasonable.”
Duggan also noted the EIS are not permitted in the downtown area. He also told councillors that changes and restrictions enshrined in the revised bylaw would only apply to new EIS as existing signs would be grandfathered; they met the rules at the time and will not have to be changed.
