(file photo/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Angela Brown

First reading carried

City looks at zoning bylaw for billboard locations

Nov 17, 2022 | 2:49 PM

The City of North Battleford is looking at changing its zoning bylaw to allow billboards to be installed outside the areas where they are currently permitted.

Council carried first reading for the proposal at its meeting this week.

The city will next advertise that it will hold a public hearing, before proceeding to second and third readings at a future meeting, before the bylaw can be passed and implemented.

The bylaw is for the discretionary placement of temporary billboards. The amendment will allow council to permit discretionary temporary billboards and have them removed if there is new development at the site, or a billboard has reached the end of its life. The proposed billboards also must not be within 200 metres of a residential property.

City planner Ryan Mackrell said the particular proposal is to amend the city’s billboard corridor bylaw to expand the area outside of the current location south of Territorial Drive and the Highway 4 intersection, and down Railway Avenue, then around Territorial Drive in the commercial corridor area.

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“This would allow the amendment to occur at council’s discretion,” he said. “[It would] permit them temporarily until such time that the development is to occur, or the billboard’s essential life has come to an end, at which time council will have the authority to ask for the removal of these billboards at these locations.”

Mackrell said the city previously received an application request related to a billboard placement. As a result, council asked city administration to look into presenting a proposal to amend the existing bylaw.

Mackrell added that any billboards that are approved for a site would have to be installed properly to meet the building codes.

Coun. Len Taylor noted because the billboard placement would be at council’s discretion, it would also be up to council to decide how long a particular billboard is to stay up, whether temporarily or otherwise.

City manager Randy Patrick said council can later look at the precise wording of the bylaw after it comes back to council for a second reading.

Council ended up carrying the first reading of the proposal to amend the zoning bylaw.

Council members hope to be accommodating, and to consider any future requests for billboards they receive.

“[We’re] just trying to be as flexible as a council as possible to look at all options for development in the city,” Mayor David Gillan said. “It’s about looking from a discretionary point of view at every application, but trying to be flexible.”

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Angela.Brown@pattisonmedia.com

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