It may have been written in 1970, but the Canadian rock group Five Man Electrical Band may as well have been singing about current day Kelowna.
Sign, sign, everywhere a sign
Blockin’ out the scenery, breakin’ my mind
Do this, don’t do that, can’t you read the sign?
Now, Kelowna city council is taking a stance against signs by updating its current sign bylaw.
The city says proposed changes to the bylaw are designed to “improve visual clutter in Kelowna, update regulations, and address changes in sign technology.”
As part of the revised bylaw, city staff is recommending stricter regulations for temporary portable signs, and not permitting digital and animated signs.
Staff also proposed lowering the maximum height of all new free-standing signs to five metres from eight metres. Fees and fines for all signs would also increase and revenue from the increased fees and fines would help pay for a new bylaw officer, who would be tasked primarily with enforcing the restrictions.
Staff will now update several key stakeholders on the changes recommended by council and bring the draft sign bylaw back to a regular council meeting for consideration in November.
And the sign said anybody caught trespassin’ would be shot on sight
So I jumped on the fence and-a yelled at the house, Hey! What gives you
the right?
To put up a fence to keep me out or to keep mother nature in
If God was here he’d tell you to your face, Man, you’re some kinda sinner.