Terrace City Council briefs from the last meeting of the current city council on October 22, 2018. Some of the key discussions are summarized below:
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No love for signage
Even signs showing a little love for local businesses are no exception when it comes to the city’s current bylaws.
Council decided not to issue a development variance permit for the “Love Terrace” wall sign, currently on the Visitor Information Centre. This means it will have to be removed or placed in a different location.
The sign, measuring four feet by eight feet, was given to the city from the Northern Development Initiative Trust (NDIT) to promote the “Love Terrace” buy local marketing program a few years ago. But when it joined the other two signs installed on the wall of the information centre, it fell out of compliance with the city’s sign bylaw, which says signage can only cover a maximum of 15 per cent of the wall’s total area.
When they discovered this, development services brought forward a variance that would allow the sign to stay where it is by doubling the allowance to 28.5 per cent.
Even though council recognized the Love Terrace program’s value, they were concerned with the precedence the decision would set.
“It’s a very important sign but I don’t believe the contents of the sign should dictate the variance. I think we’re sending the wrong message to businesses if we’re going to circumvent our own sign bylaw,” Coun. Sean Bujtas said.
Councillors Michael Prevost, James Cordeiro, Lynne Christiansen and Brian Downie echoed similar feelings, and the decision to not issue a variance permit was carried unanimously.
The sign will now have to come down, and city staff are working on finding a new location.
Theatre grant application
Council agreed to write a letter of support for the Terrace Little Theatre’s application to NDIT’s Community Halls and Recreation Facilities fund.
The theatre is looking for $26,860 to renovate their technical booth to improve its visibility and audibility, upgrade their lighting board and hire a consultant to determine other technical needs. The theatre is an old one, and its outdated equipment and wiring have made it difficult for stage crews to work in.
“I think it’ll make for a better experience for the people in the building,” said TLT president Robin MacLeod.
The society also hopes that the upgraded equipment will attract more volunteers for their technical crew and offer state of the art technical support to organizations using the performance space. The next show “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike” opens Nov. 16 at the McColl Playhouse.
Council support for funding
The city is also vying for NDIT’s Community Halls and Recreation fund to flow some more money into replacing the playground equipment at Kin Park.
The department of leisure services is applying for $30,000 to add to the city’s already budgeted $40,000 for the project. If accepted, the funding would give a little more wiggle room in the playground’s replacement to add more enhancements to the site.
A second application requesting $20,000 from NDIT to continue the city’s Business Facade Improvement Program was also supported.
brittany@terracestandard.com
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