Residents looking to advertise yard sales with signs on the corner of 46th St. and 50th Ave. might not be able to do so for much longer.
Town administration is looking into amending and enforcing a bylaw to restrict the placement of temporary signs that advertise yard sales, apartments for rent, houses for sale and any other community events at the major intersection.
“The signs are willy-nilly. They are all over the place,” said Coun. Lorna Storoschuk.
Many councillors voiced displeasure over the number of signs that populate the corner by the Home Hardware parking lot during the summer months and felt something needed to be done to deter residents from placing them there.
The local policing committee also weighed in on the matter, feeling most signs at that intersection aren't as useful as people may think.
“What the policing committee is saying is that nobody is stopping to write down addresses and numbers in great detail at that intersection for a property that is for rent or for sale,” said Mark Power, Town of Bonnyville CAO.
The town's current regulations for temporary signs are in the Land Use Bylaw, a massive document that is currently under review.
While these signs do not require a development permit, the bylaw specifies that the signs are permitted if “they are located on private property only and do not interfere with any vehicular or pedestrian right-of-way.”
Many of the signs placed at the corner of 46 St. and 50 Ave. tend to be placed on the boulevard, which is public property and is a contravention of the bylaw.
“I think the bylaw is good the way it is. It just needs to be enforced,” said Coun. Rene Van Brabant.
The issue facing town council is a lack of staff to be able to go around and enforce where temporary signs should and shouldn't be placed and the need for an alternative spot signs could go.
“If we are going to restrict (signs there) then we should give them an alternative,” said Power, who suggested upgrading the community message board at the C2.
“We could replace the one community board that is sort of there with something that is a little more community friendly.”
Administration is going to look into amending the bylaw as to encourage residents to use a community message board.
