HOW TO READ THIS INFORMATION APPENDIX A SIGN BY-LAW OVERVIEW OF OTHER MUNICIPALITIES 1. This Appendix provides a summary overview of the sign by-law regulations of twelve other Michigan and Ontario municipalities: Traverse City, Petoskey, North Bay, Thunder Bay, Timmins, Sudbury, Clarington, Whitby, Aurora, Kingston, Oakville and Burlington. Sault Ste. Marie s current sign regulations are included for comparison purposes. 2. The municipalities were selected to represent a cross section of Northern Ontario communities and other medium to small scale Ontario communities. Information on Traverse City and Petoskey Michigan is included because they are often cited locally as communities with good signage. They were the communities most mentioned in the public survey as having good signs. 3. The entry for each Ontario municipality includes its ranking by Money Sense magazine in the annual The Best Places to Live in Canada survey. This ranking provides an additional metric for comparing communities. The Money Sense survey measures a number of economic, demographic and quality of life measures to arrive at the ranking. 4. Not all municipalities regulate the same types of signs or use the same terms to describe signs. The regulations of other communities have been classified to follow the language of the Sault Ste. Marie sign by-law in order to be comparable. The information presented is for the types of signs used by businesses in commercial areas as these are the most prevalent kinds of signs in cities. 5. This information is intended to provide an overview of the general aspects of sign by-laws. Not all of the details and permutations of the sign regulations for each community are included in the interests of readability and understanding. The original sign by-law of each municipality should be consulted if the reader requires more detailed or accurate information.
City SAULT STE. MARIE TRAVERSE CITY, MI PETOSKEY, MI NORTH BAY, ON THUNDER BAY, ON Population 75,141 14,911 5,707 53,651 126,257 Canada s Best Places to Live Ranking #129 NA NA #111 #109 Date of Sign By-law 2005, 2013 2004 2004 2006, 2008 1992 WALL SIGN Maximum Sign Area No maximum area for C1, C2, C3, C4, C5 60 m 2 for CT2 15% of wall area (wall, awning) 6 sq ft (canopy) 15% to 20% ground floor wall area 30% of front building face 23.2 m 2 maximum total area for all wall, canopy, awning, projecting signs Maximum Height 7 m above building height (C1, C2, C3, C4, C5) Building height (CT2) 5.5 m or 0.3 m below second floor window trim -- Not to extend above eaves -- GROUND SIGN Maximum Sign Area No maximum (C1, C2, C3, C4, C5) 60 m 2 (CT2) 1.9 m 2 1.1 to 3.7 m 2 30% changeable message 12 m 2 24 m 2 to 50 m 2 Maximum Height 12 m Lesser of 4.6 m or height of building 2.4 to 4.6 m 8 m 7.5 m Spacing 15 m -- -- -- Maximum Number of Signs Per Lot No limit 1 per 60 m, maximum 3 per lot Not permitted in downtown 1 per building, maximum 2 for plaza with more than 4 businesses No limit Page 1
City SAULT STE. MARIE TRAVERSE CITY, MI PETOSKEY, MI NORTH BAY, ON THUNDER BAY, ON ROOF SIGN Same standards as Prohibited Prohibited By variance 10 m 2 maximum 1 per property PROJECTING SIGN Same standards as 1.1 m 2 1 per business front 0.2 m 2 1 per business -- Included in 23 m 2 maximum sign allowance per building AWNING SIGN Same standards as CANOPY SIGN Same standards as MARQUEE SIGN Same standards as -- Subject to review -- Included in 23 m 2 maximum sign allowance per building -- Subject to review -- Included in 23 m 2 maximum sign allowance per building -- -- -- Included in 23 m 2 maximum sign allowance per building BILLBOARD SIGN -- Off premise signs prohibited -- -- Maximum Sign Area 20 m 2 -- -- 20.5 m 2 -- Maximum Height 8 m -- 8 m -- Spacing 120 m from any billboard 15 m from any advertising sign -- -- 30 m 1 per property -- Page 2
City SAULT STE. MARIE TRAVERSE CITY, MI PETOSKEY, MI NORTH BAY, ON THUNDER BAY, ON PORTABLE SIGN Prohibited Sign on trailer prohibited Fluorescent prohibited Trailer sign by variance Mobile sign Maximum Sign Area 4.5 m 2 NA -- 6.5 m 2 6.7 m 2 Maximum Height 2.8 m NA -- 30 m Maximum Per Lot No limit NA -- 2 per lot 1 per 50 m Spacing 15 m NA -- -- 5 m Length of Permit 2 years 30 days NA -- -- -- A FRAME SIGN Not addressed -- Maximum Sign Area -- 0.6 m 2 0.6 m 2 1.5 m 2 -- Maximum Height -- 0.9 m 1.2 m 1.5 m -- Maximum Per Lot -- 1 per lot 1 per business downtown 1 per business -- ELECTRONIC MESSAGE BOARD Not addressed Prohibited -- -- -- WINDOW SIGN Not addressed 25% of window area 25% of window area -- -- BANNER SIGN Same standards as -- -- Page 3
City SAULT STE. MARIE, ON TIMMINS, ON SUDBURY, ON CLARINGTON, ON WHITBY, ON Population 75,141 44,683 166,817 91,473 131,539 Canada s Best Places to Live Ranking #129 #107 #70 #58 #27 Date of Sign By-law 2005 2012 2007, 2010 2009 2005 WALL SIGN Maximum Sign Area No maximum (C1, C2, C3, C4, C5) 60 m 2 (CT2) 20% of wall area 18 m 2 maximum 1.2 m 2 total sign area for property per 1.0 m of lot 10% - 15% of wall area 25% of facade Maximum Height 7 m above building height (C1, C2, C3, C4, C5) Building height (CT2) 2.0 m above roof -- -- Not above second storey GROUND SIGN Maximum Sign Area No maximum (C1, C2, C3, C4, C5) 60 m 2 (CT2) 7.5 m 2 2.25 m 2 to 15.0 m 2 7.5 m 2 15 m2 Maximum Height 12 m 6.75 m 1.35 m to 7.5 m 7.5 m 8 m Spacing (Ground) 15 m -- 60 m Maximum Number of Signs Per Lot No limit 2 per lot 1 per lot 1 per 50 m lot ROOF SIGN Not permitted abutting a Residential Zone Not permitted 25 m 2 6 m height Page 4
City SAULT STE. MARIE, ON TIMMINS, ON SUDBURY, ON CLARINGTON, ON WHITBY, ON PROJECTING SIGN Same standards as AWNING SIGN Same standards as 0.56 m 2 2.0 m 2 1.0 m 2 1.5 m 2 Same as Same as Same as 1 per 50 m BILLBOARD SIGN Maximum Sign Area 20 m 2 60.4 m 2 6.0 m 2 18 m 2 25 m 2 Maximum Height 8 m 7.5 m 7.5 m 10 m Spacing 120 m from billboard 15 m any advertising sign 305 m 15 m from residential zone Permitted only along Highway 35/115 -- PORTABLE SIGN Mobile Sign Mobile Sign Maximum Sign Area 4.5 m 2 6.7 m 2 5.0 m 2 3.0 m 2 Fluorescent colours prohibited 3.0 m 2 Maximum Height 2.8 m 2.4 m 2.5 m 2.0 m 2.3 m Maximum Per Lot No limit 3 per lot 1 to 6 depending on street Maximum number of signs per lot in each calendar year One 2 Spacing 15 m 15 m 45 m -- 60 m Length of Permit 2 years 30 days 60 days 5 display periods per year 30 days between display periods 3 months No permit within 6 months of a previous permit 60 days 3 permits per business per year 60 days between display periods 15 days 4 periods per year Page 5
City SAULT STE. MARIE, ON TIMMINS, ON SUDBURY, ON CLARINGTON, ON WHITBY, ON A FRAME SIGN Not addressed Maximum Sign Area -- 1.5 m 2 1.49 m 2 1.0 m 2 -- Maximum Height -- 1.2 m 1.2 m 1.25 m 1.2 m Maximum Per Lot -- -- One -- ELECTRONIC MESSAGE BOARD -- Maximum 30% of sign area 30 seconds static display Constant level of illumination Maximum 50% of sign area -- WINDOW SIGN Not addressed -- 50% of window area -- BANNER SIGN Not addressed 10 m 2 6.0 m 2 30 days maximum No other temporary sign permitted at same time Twice in calendar year -- Page 6
City SAULT STE. MARIE, ON AURORA, ON KINGSTON, ON OAKVILLE, ON BURLINGTON, ON Population 75,141 56,697 169,645 196,722 187,497 Canada s Best Places to Live Ranking #129 #24 #11 #7 #5 Date of Sign By-law 2005, 2013 2007 2009 2006 2007 WALL SIGN Maximum Sign Area No maximum (C1, C2, C3, C4, C5) 60 m 2 (CT2) 0.75 m 2 per horizontal linear metre of wall face Maximum 20% of wall area or 35 m 2 20% of total wall area Maximum 27.8 m 2 20% of wall area 18 m 2 maximum 0.75 times linear width of facade Maximum 26 m 2 Maximum Height 7 m above building height (C1, C2, C3, C4, C5) Building height (CT2) -- 4.78 m above grade 2.0 m above facade -- GROUND SIGN Maximum Sign Area No maximum (C1, C2, C3, C4, C5) 60 m 2 (CT2) 10 m 2 to 18 m 2 13.97 m 2 7.5 m 2 0.3 times the street Maximum 28 m 2 Maximum Height 12 m 7.5 m to 9.0 m 10.67 m 6.75 m 10.5 m Spacing (Ground) 15 m 15 m 45 m Maximum Number of Signs Per Lot No limit One 1 per street 1 per street 2 per lot ROOF SIGN Same standards as PROJECTING SIGN Same standards as 6.1 m above roof 18.58 m 2 Prohibited Prohibited 0.5 m 2 to 2.0 m 2 0.3 m 2 0.56 m 2 Page 7
City SAULT STE. MARIE, ON AURORA, ON KINGSTON, ON OAKVILLE, ON BURLINGTON, ON AWNING SIGN Same standards as Same as Same as Same as Same as BILLBOARD SIGN Only service groups and organizations recognized by Town may display a billboard Maximum 50 in city Maximum Sign Area 20 m 2 Same as sign type 23.2 m 2 to 65.0 m 2 7.5 m 2 7.5 m 2 Maximum Height 8 m Same as sign type 15.2 m 6.75 m 8.0 m Spacing 120 m from billboard 15 m any advertising sign -- 100 m 304.8 m from another off premise sign 300 m PORTABLE SIGN Mobile Sign Mobile Sign Maximum Sign Area 4.5 m 2 5.57 m 2 6.7 m 2 Only black and white 3.7 m 2 Maximum Height 2.8 m 2.7 m 2.7 m 2.4 m 2.4 m Maximum Per Lot No limit One One up to 91.4 m Two up to 182.8 m Spacing 15 m -- 60.9 m on same property 30.4 m between separate properties 3 per 1 to 2 15 m 60 m Page 8
City SAULT STE. MARIE, ON AURORA, ON KINGSTON, ON OAKVILLE, ON BURLINGTON, ON Length of Permit 2 years 30 days A FRAME SIGN Not addressed 8 weeks 90 days 30 days 30 days hiatus 2 permits per year 15 days Maximum 3 permits per year Maximum Sign Area -- 1.0 m 2 0.37 m 2 1.5 m 2 1.1 m 2 Maximum Height -- 92 cm 1.2 m 1.2 m Maximum Per Lot -- One 1 per business location 3 per One ELECTRONIC MESSAGE BOARD -- -- 5.0 m 2 5 seconds static message display 30% of sign area 30 seconds static message display Constant level of illumination -- WINDOW SIGN -- -- Exempt Maximum 10% of window area BANNER SIGN Same standards as 36 m 2 8 weeks display Exempt if authorized by City Shares standards of portable signs 6.0 m 2 45 days display Page 9