Report to: Development Services Committee Date of Meeting: June 6, 2006
SUBJECT: Request to Call a Public Meeting
Markham Centre Sign By-law
PREPARED BY: Richard Kendall,
Manager of Development, Central District, Extension 6588
RECOMMENDATION:
That the report dated June 6,
2006, entitled “Request to Call a Public Meeting, Markham Centre Sign By-law”
be received, and
That a public meeting be held on
the proposed Markham Centre Sign By-law and that notice be provided to those
people who have requested to be advised of matters in Markham Centre, Markham
Centre stakeholders and by way of an ad on the Markham
home page within the Economist and Sun.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
Not applicable
FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS:
Not applicable
The purpose of this report is to
advise of the status of on-going work on the development of a sign By-law for
Markham Centre and to request that a public meeting be held.
Consistent
with the Markham Centre Communications Strategy, staff have been working with the
Markham Centre developers to promote the Markham Centre vision and incorporate associated
messaging into marketing programmes and sales centres. Recent examples of this strategy include the
hoarding programme and related amendments to the Sign By-law, flags
strategically placed at key entry points into Markham Centre (East Precinct and
the Remington lands) and a banner programme that is being implemented along Enterprise Boulevard and portions of Town Centre Boulevard.
Through this process it became apparent that the current Town
of Markham Sign By-Law, which was
revised and consolidated in 2003, does not address many of the unique needs of
Markham Centre’s mixed-use urban environment.
As Markham Centre moves from the planning stages into the construction
stages, the build-out of Markham Centre with its mixed-use Downtown is
beginning to raise sign matters which are not contemplated nor permitted in the
existing Town-wide By-Law.
Consequently, in March, 2006, the Town retained Martin Rendl
Associates and Randy Johnson of Entro Communications to review existing signage
permissions with a view to create a by-law for a distinct, high quality and unique
Markham Centre district, with special emphasis on the needs of the retail mixed-use
core.
The new by-law is intended to comprehensively address permissions
for signs related to: awnings, banners, events, festivals, murals, neon,
redograph and temporary marketing signs.
It is also intended to define sign categories and applicable geographic
areas, provide language to address why the Central District is unique (compared
to other areas of Markham), and provide
precedents and examples of comparable by-law provisions from other
municipalities.
Since being retained, the consultants have held meetings
with staff, area developers, and have presented an overview to the Markham
Centre Advisory. The next stage of this
process is to solicit input from the public, and to report to Council. Accordingly, it would be appropriate to
schedule a public meeting to consider a new sign by-law for Markham Centre.
It is recommended that notice for
this meeting be provided to those people who have requested to be advised of
matters within Markham Centre, Markham Centre stakeholders (including key
developers, landowners and business interests, VIVA, and various sign
companies) and through an ad on the Markham
home page in the Economist and Sun newspaper.
FINANCIAL TEMPLATE (Separate Attachment):
ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS:
Not applicable
ACCESSIBILITY CONSIDERATIONS:
Not applicable
ENGAGE 21ST CONSIDERATIONS:
Not applicable
BUSINESS UNITS CONSULTED AND AFFECTED:
Not applicable
RECOMMENDED BY:
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Valerie Shuttleworth, M.C.I.P., R.P.P.
Director of Planning & Urban Design
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Jim
Baird, M.C.I.P., R.P.P.
Commissioner of Development Services
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Q:\Development\Planning\Teams\Markham
Centre\Coordinator\Sign Programme\Report to Call a Public Meeting - Sign
By-law.doc