NS: Businessman battles town over signage

[AMHERST, NS] — The town of Amherst has decided it is not going to allow a local businessman to cover the front of his property with advertising signage.

Warren Chapman had requested an amendment to the town’s land-use bylaw that would have allowed him to cover the face of his building at 8 Croft Street (the former bridge workshop) with advertising.

The planning advisory committee considered the request, but recommended the town not give first reading to a bylaw amendment.

In his report to the planning advisory committee, planner Andrew Fisher said: “The land-use bylaw sign provisions are a balance between allowing businesses to effectively advertise the location of their operation, and maintaining a level of aesthetic control in the community.”

When he appeared before the committee, Chapman said the bylaw is not fair and is not being enforced evenly throughout the town. He also said it’s in contravention of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms while pointing out his signs help many small businesses advertise at an affordable price.

The present bylaw says frontal wall signs shall not cover more than 0.6 square metres for every linear metre on the wall on which the sign is affixed. The wall in question is about 81⁄2 metres wide, allowing for five square metres of sign coverage.

Fisher suggested in his report that if the town allowed Chapman to cover the front of his business with signs, all commercial buildings in the town should be permitted to do the same.

Considering the town is spending $150,000 on an arts, culture and heritage strategy, downtown redevelopment and beautification, he feels allowing this would undermine efforts to improve the town aesthetically or economically.