Sign, sign, everywhere an illegal sign in northeast Calgary, complains councillor

Dozens of illegally-placed signs advertising local businesses can be viewed as far as the eye can see along Calgary's Métis Trail, Country Hills Boulevard and other major roadways in the northeast, prompting an area city councillor to raise safety concerns.

Ward 5 Coun. Raj Dhaliwal says the signage does not comply with the city’s Temporary Signs on Highways Bylaw 29M97, which forbids the use of signage along major roads.

The bylaw specifically prohibits signs along Métis Trail from McKnight Boulevard to Stoney Trail, but no one appears to be following the rules.

"There’s tons of signage, and my residents are fed up with it because it’s a visual distraction," said Dhaliwal.

"Sometimes signs are so close to the intersection that you can't really even see the other side of the street, and sometimes if you want to take a left turn, you don't have a clear vision of the car or vehicles that are coming – so it's a big safety concern."

Dhaliwal adds that in the month of March alone, his Ward 5 received 131 complaints of illegal signs, and that some of the complaints are for multiple signs from a single business.

"I’m not getting any answers from the city. The city has all these fine structures, but what I’m struggling to understand is how they are enforcing it," he said.

"For example, a business could make $1,000 in sales off their sign and then get maybe a $150 fine, and that’s a slap on the wrist. We have to be more stringent with how we apply bylaws and make strict penalties." 

Ward 5 Coun. Raj Dhaliwal says plenty of signage in northeast Calgary does not comply with the city’s temporary sign bylaw.

CITY ADMINISTRATION WORKING ON SOLUTIONS 

Calgary Community Services general manager Katie Black says the city is aware of illegal signage on major roadways across the city and is working on solutions to fix the issue.

"We are working right now with our peace officer team to develop some really great proactive strategies," she said.

"We're seizing illegally placed signs, we're issuing fines for individuals or businesses that continue to place signs illegally along streets. We are also reviewing the fee schedule to make sure that the costs that we are charging are appropriately covering the costs of undertaking this kind of enforcement."

Black encourages any Calgarian with a complaint about illegal signage to report it and call 311 and says anyone seeking additional information can go to calgary.ca for more information on how the city handles illegal signs.

Fines for putting up an illegal sign can range anywhere from $75 to $1,000. according to the city.

Late Wednesday afternoon, the city sent the following statement regarding Metis Trail enforcement:

"In specific regard to Metis Trail, officers will be conducting a sweep of roadways with high concentrations of signs in the NE (northeast).  Signs will be seized and charges will be issued to the offending businesses/owners. Charges may range anywhere from $125 to thousands of dollars per sign depending on the specific infraction, and business owners will even potentially face higher fines up to $10,000s while having to speak to the matter in court.

"We are aware of the concerns brought forward from communities impacted by this matter and we are committed to curbing this issue on our roadways."

 

Ward 5 Coun. Raj Dhaliwal says plenty of signage in northeast Calgary does not comply with the city’s temporary sign bylaw.

SIGN RULES AND REGULATIONS

The City of Calgary has outlined the following rules and regulations under its Temporary Signs Bylaw which include temporary signs, mobile community signs, elections signs and signs that advertise a service.

A temporary sign is not legally placed if it:

• Is closer than 15 metres to any intersection;
• Is closer than 30 metres to any City bus shelter, transit bench, bus zone, LRT station, or LRT platform;
• Is placed in a Playground Zone/School Zone;
• Is placed within 20 metres of a sign which is posted by the same owner or depicts, advertises or promotes the same idea;
• Is placed on or within 2 metres of a Fire Hydrant;
• Is placed within 10 metres on a crosswalk that is not at an intersection;
• Is closer than 2 metres from the curb or edge of road;
• Is placed on any traffic island or centre median;
• Obstructs any traffic control device;
• Is erected on any prohibited or restricted roadway;
• Creates a traffic or pedestrian hazard; and/or
• Is displayed for more than 14 days before or more than 24 hours following the date of the advertised event, whichever is less.

A temporary sign is not legally attached if it is:

• Is attached to a standard street light pole, traffic signal pole, or a City sign pole (except for posters);
• Is attached on or within a plus 15 bridge, pedestrian walkway, or overpass;
• Is attached to a sound wall;
• Is permanently affixed;
• Is supported by string, rope or metal guide-wire; and/or
• Causes or could cause damage to municipal property.

In addition, a temporary sign is not legal if it:

• Has a position, shape, colour, format or illumination which is similar to a Traffic Control Device;
• Is placed on any decorative or painted lamp post. Including posters;
• Could be a hazard to either the person erecting the sign, or any member of the public;
• Has a sign face larger than 0.6 square metres (3 square metres for election signs and Mobile Community Signs);
• Is higher than 0.92 metres when measured from grade to the highest part of the sign (2.5 metres for election signs and Mobile Community Signs);
• Is lit, electrified, or inflatable; and/or
• Is unsightly, damaged, or in disrepair.