Local business owners are steamed over a council move to hike fees for portable signs by about 437 per cent, with one advocate saying it could lead to empty stores on St. Albert Trail.
Councillors, sitting as committee of the whole, voted 6-1 earlier this month to raise the permit application fee for portable or temporary street signs to $300 from $100, and to shorten the length of those permits to 60 days from 90.
These changes have yet to take effect, noted chief legislative officer Chris Belke, as committees can't change legislation — only councillors sitting as council can do so.
The first change would affect the Master Rates Bylaw, Belke explained, and would be voted on this Monday. The second change involves the Land Use Bylaw, and would be voted on later.
Mayor Nolan Crouse said the changes are part of council's efforts to reduce clutter on and improve the image of St. Albert Trail, as suggested by local residents and marketing advisor Roger Brooks.
"There were 71 portable signs (Friday) morning on St. Albert Trail," he said. "We want businesses here that can thrive without having portable signs."
Council reports suggest that these changes would raise the cost of having a portable sign in town to $1,800 a year from $412 — a jump of about 437 per cent. The current fee is $103 every 90 days.
That sends the wrong message, said Bob Pringle, owner of Days Paint and Wallpaper on St. Albert Trail.
"To have a 400-per-cent increase is not acceptable for anything," he said. "That's not giving the message that we're a business-friendly city."
Bad for the little guy
Pringle, who has run his store in St. Albert since 1992, has a portable sign in front of his store.
"The sign has been a very cost-effective way to get a small message out," he said. "Not using the sign is going to cost us in sales."
Grapevine Deli has been in St. Albert since 1994 and current owner J Wagner said it has had a portable sign on the Trail for nine years.
"I can't afford to take an ad out in the paper every week twice a week," she said, and the portable sign is one of the few ways she has to draw people to downtown. "We still have to grow, and we can only do that by being seen."
Wagner said her portable sign gets her at least 10 new customers a week, customers who also check out the other stores downtown.
Wagner was audibly frustrated by council's decision.
"For nine years, we've done exactly as we have been asked" with respect to sign regulations, she fumed, and now council seems to be saying if you can't afford a sign, you can't have one. "That's not supporting small business in St. Albert."
St. Albert would have one of the most punitive rates for portable signs in the greater Edmonton region if it makes these changes, said Harmen Pogge, president of the Alberta Portable Sign Association.
"The permit would cost more than the portable sign rentals in most cases."
This would hit mom-and-pop stores particularly hard, Pogge said, and would drive many out of St. Albert.
"You want to talk about unattractive?" he said, referring to council's attempts to beautify the Trail. "You're going to have empty storefronts."
Crouse said he would be surprised if any businesses left town because they couldn't have portable signs, as most thrive without them.
"A portable sign? If that's what's keeping you in business … wow."
Businesses would soon be able to have ads on the St. Albert Chamber of Commerce's digital signs, he added.
Edmonton is just moments away from St. Albert, Pogge said, and many of these businesses have thin margins.
"If you're paying premium rent to be on St. Albert Trail in St. Albert, and you can't advertise on the Trail, what's the point of being in St. Albert?"
If council wants to get rid of portable signs, Wagner said, they should at least add some signs to the Trail directing visitors to downtown.
"Put two signs on the highway that say 'Downtown, turn left, turn right,'" she said. "I live, eat, shop and play here, and this is where I want my customers to stay."
