Sechelt’s planning and development committee is recommending council vote against a full sign bylaw variance for the new owners of the Rexall drug store at the Trail Bay Centre.
Rx Drug Mart, a part of the IDA group, is due to take over the Rexall location later this month, and that means all the signs will have to be changed.
There are seven signs in total, but only the main sign, on the front of the building facing Teredo Street, raised concerns among the committee members during the June 28 meeting.
Doug Stewart, the district’s director of corporate and financial services, told the committee that planning staff were divided on what advice to offer councillors. Some felt it should be granted based on the previous variance granted for the Rexall signs in 2015, and others felt it should be denied as not in keeping with the sign bylaw.
“I have to agree with the staff who are not wanting to give the variance, especially the front sign [known as sign 1]… It’s way too big,” said Coun. Darnelda Siegers.
Coun. Noel Muller said he now regrets supporting the Rexall variance in 2015. “When we first came in here as a new council, I did vote in favour of that. I’ve since regretted it. I don’t think it’s the right sign for Sechelt. I think that particular sign flies in the face of all the other business in Sechelt that have abided by the sign bylaw… To have something like that in our town that very clearly points to the fact that they’ve been given some special treatment does not stand well with me.”
Muller also pointed out that the advisory planning commission recommended against a variance for the large front sign.
At the suggestion of chair Mike Shanks, the committee made two recommendations, one indicating support for the proposed replacements for signs 2 through 7, and one “that staff be directed to work with Rx Drug Mart IDA to find an alternate option that is smaller in size for sign 1.”
Muller laid out what he’s hoping that alternate option might look like.
“We need to find a way to work with the façade and change the sign so the overall look is in keeping with a coastal town, and in keeping with the form and character of our town,” he said.
The recommendation was due to go to full council for endorsement at the July 5 regular meeting.
