There won’t be any inflatable gorillas or Vegas-style marquees advertising Maple Ridge businesses under the city’s new sign bylaw.
The City of Maple Ridge is redrafting its bylaw, and merchants are invited to comment.
Some have made their views known already, after running afoul of the bylaw in the past.
Gold Rush Jewellers on 224th Street was told in 2011 to remove banner signage. But owner Gerry Briffett complained then that other businesses were allowed to keep their banners up – about 130 other businesses.
Fred Biancofiore, a partner in Gold Rush, said recently that he believes businesses in the downtown core face more enforcement than others, but the signs need to be seen.
“We’re paying taxes and we have to do business,” he said. “And it’s bad enough with the streets as they are, with all the derelicts hanging around.”
He plans to offer feedback about the bylaw. He said he has banners advertising different messages for different times of the year, but hasn’t been using them.
“Some places, all they allow you is a shingle,” he said.
In recent years, the city has not enforced the sign bylaw. Sandwich boards abound in the city, but under the existing bylaw, they are not allowed.
Under a proposed new bylaw, businesses such as Gold Rush Jewellers could apply for a permit to have one banner sign or one portable freestanding sign (sandwich board), but not both.
The draft bylaw, which is dated October of 2017, sets out that signs cannot contain flashing, animated, rotating, moving or oscillating electrical components. Signs will not be revolving.
There will be no balloons or inflatable devices, nor any pennants, bunting or flags other than “patriotic flags.”
There will be no signs on the side of any fascia, awning or canopy. The draft bylaw goes on for 40 pages.
Ineke Boekhorst of the Downtown Maple Ridge Business Improvement Association urges businesses to read the bylaw and offer any input – because they will probably live with the new rules for decades.
