The City of Penticton is set to start allowing third-party advertising on its facilities.
Council voted unanimously Monday to give third-reading approval to allow organizations to advertise, for a fee, on municipal-owned property.
According to the city’s director of development services Anthony Haddad, the practice is not entirely new to Penticton.
“In order for the city to generate additional revenue and to pass that revenue onto various organizations running city facilities, third-party advertising opportunities (already) exist to generate additional revenue,” reported Haddad. “Whether it be advertising located on buildings, fencing surrounding city recreational facilities or city infrastructure, sponsorship opportunities exist for the city and community organizations that have yet to be tapped into.”
However, currently advertisement signs — with a few exceptions — are restricted to only the premises to which the signs refer to. The change, said Haddad, would allow offsite advertising for approved organizations.
“Staff consider that this is a flexible option to allow appropriate third party advertising on city-owned property, facilities or infrastructure to assist in the creation of additional revenue for the city and user groups,” he said.
In addition, the new rules will add an exclusion process for advertisers who wish to apply to have fascia signs that exceed the 10.8 square foot limit.
“This regulation is in place specifically for smaller development parcels to reduce the potential clutter that facia signs can cause when together in a certain area: Main Street, for example,” said Haddad. “It is difficult to see how this regulation would be applied to signage that would be attached to larger community-oriented building types that are seen on city land. However, it does restrict potential advertising opportunities on city property.”
Haddad noted that exemptions to the size restrictions also exist for signs authorized by the public works department, building addresses, street decorations and other forms of signage related to municipal works.
And, in the end, each advertisement sign would still require council’s approval before being posted.
“As with any changes proposed to city-owned land, the size and type of signage that would be located would need to be endorsed by council,” explained Haddad. “A building permit may or may not be required for the signage, depending on its scale and location.
“Staff consider that the proposal is in line with exemptions already in existence under the current bylaw.”
Mayor Dan Ashton said the changes to the rules are being done specifically for South Okanagan Youth Soccer Association so that the group may put up advertising signage at King’s Park.
“On the fencing would be SOYSA, giving them the opportunity for some advertising of which the city would be garnering some funding,” said Ashton, explaining that the signs would be similar to the advertisements already located in the Adidas Sportsplex.
“I have seen them and they are attractive signs.”
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