The City of Winnipeg could soon change the way signs and billboards are approved.
A new report says over the last seven years variances and conditional uses for 63.5% of signs and 53.5% of billboards, rejected by the city’s administration, were then approved by the Board of Adjustment. It says most of the applications overturned in the last two years were for increased size and height.
The board is made of citizen appointments, not councillors.
The report is recommending the authority now be given to the Property & Development Director to make decisions with an appeal process through a committee of councilors instead. The report says city rules, when it comes to signs, are already “relatively permissive” and should be followed.
It also notes the sign industry is not supportive of the approval process change.
