By Michael Gorman
THE VANGUARD
NovaNovaNewsNow.com
Yarmouth’s most debated, hated and controversial bylaw for many people could be on its way to a facelift.
During last week’s monthly meeting of the town’s Planning Advisory Committee (PAC), the town’s planner, Arthur MacDonald, introduced proposed amendments to the signage bylaw that are designed to create a “less restricted and more user friendly” bylaw for businesses and town staff alike.
The proposal distributed by MacDonald at the meeting calls for “a functional signage bylaw that is appropriate and strikes a balance between the needs of the retail/business industry and the general public.”
According to the document, the proposal would allow for a wide variety of signage as a right without requiring a municipal development permit. This means many more signs would go unchecked and could only become an issue if the planning office were made aware of a suspected violation.
“The retail/business industry will have more latitude in erecting and changing signage as they see fit without necessarily checking with the planning department,” reads the document preamble.
“This enables them to concentrate on their business rather than going through the typical steps of applying for and receiving a signage permit.”
One possible consequence of the changes noted by MacDonald is that if fewer instances require businesses to check with the planning office before putting up a sign, they could incur removal costs that are presently prevented by the necessity of a signage permit.
The community and PAC members will have plenty of time to debate the pros and cons of the proposed amendments during a future public hearing.
