Proposed dynamic sign for the Collicutt Centre (Red Deer City Council Agenda August 29 p. 42)

By Alessia Proietti

Collicutt and G.H. Dawe Centres

Red Deer city council approves bylaw amendment for dynamic signs

Sep 27, 2022 | 3:13 PM

Red Deer city council has passed a land use bylaw amendment that would allow for the installation of dynamic signs at the Collicutt and G.H. Dawe Centres.

At Monday’s meeting, council passed second and third reading of the amendment following a public hearing where no residents were present.

READ: Dynamic signs proposed for the Collicutt and G.H. Dawe Centres

Dynamic signs contain features that move or appear to move and change through technological methods such as rotating panels, LED lights or digital ink.

Currently, dynamic signs are not permitted at the two Public Service (PS) sites due to criteria in the Bylaw.

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In the current PS District, dynamic signs are permitted on sites over 17.1 hectares in size, originally to accommodate the existing signage at Red Deer Polytechnic and Westerner Park.

The Collicutt Centre (3031 30 Ave.) is located on a parcel 13.29 hectares in size and the G.H. Dawe Community Centre (56 Holt St.) is located on 13.37 hectares of land.

Secondly, the Bylaw does not allow dynamic signs within 100 metres of residential districts. However, it does permit an allowable variance of 10-20 per cent, or 10-20 metres, at the discretion of the Municipal Planning Commission.

The proposed location for the Collicutt Centre’s sign is located at the entrance along 30 Ave., facing north and south, within 74 metres from a residential district.

The bylaw amendment now allows for the following:

• Dynamic signs permissible on PS sites over 13.1 hectares
• An increase in the allowable variance to 30 per cent, or 30 metres.

According to City Planner Genevieve Davis, the amendment affects six PS sites, including the G.H. Dawe Centre, Collicutt Centre, Lindsay Thurber High School, the previous Michener site, Michener Park and Westerner Park.

While consultation mail-out requests were sent out to 225 landowners, only two responded with concerns about bright lighting. The current bylaw requires the signs to have a maximum brightness level of 350 nits (light produced by one candle per square metre) between sunset and sunrise, and last a minimum of three seconds before an instantaneous transition without motion, dissolving, blinking, flashing, intermittent lights, video or the illusion of such effects.

In response to council’s debate on brightness levels, administration stated that it was due to previous complaints about the dynamic sign at Hunting Hills High School that caused the City to require a maximum of 350 nits throughout the night. Since then, they say they have not received any complaints by residents regarding light.

Councillor Victor Doerksen reminded members that the passing of the amendment does not guarantee the creation of a dynamic sign on the sites.

“We are amending a bylaw that gives the commission the ability to approve up to 30 per cent variance. That’s a decision that we have here today. We’re not approving a Collicutt sign or the G.H Dawe [sign],” he said.