An application for a Sign Permit should be submitted to the Building Department where it is checked for completeness and compliance with the Sign By-law and other regulatory agencies (i.e. Niagara Escarpment Commission, Niagara Parks Commission, Ministry of Transportation, Regional Municipality of Niagara).
If the application is accepted, a permit can be issued upon payment of the required fee.
If the application is not accepted, due to non-compliance with the regulations of the Sign By-law, a minor variance may be considered. Minor variances to the Sign By-law are administered in the Planning & Development Department. The fee for a Minor Variance to the Sign By-law is $2,100.00.
Should the relief from the Sign By-law not be "minor" in nature, an amendment to the Sign By-law may be considered. The fee for a Sign By-law Amendment Application is $5,600.00.
Sign By-law Update
Staff are bringing forward amendments to the Sign By-law to the January 19, 2021 Council meeting that would introduce new regulations for electronic signs as well as clarifications of some of the existing definitions. There are also minor wording changes proposed to clarify and contemporize the by-law.
An Open House was held October 2, 2019 to present the proposed amendments to the sign industry and local stakeholders. The comments received at that open house and thereafter were reviewed and incorporated if possible. The proposed amended by-law was circulated to this group for a final review prior to Council's consideration on January 19, 2021.
Links:
We invite your comments on the proposed amendments and the update in general. Comments should be submitted by January 18, 2021 to [email protected] .
The consolidated amended Sign By-law can be found on the City's By-law web page.
