The Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) will begin enforcing sign bylaw regulations in Whistler Village on Dec. 1, after a pilot project grew beyond its original intent.
The pilot project, launched in 2018, allowed food and beverage businesses to use sandwich boards on the Village Stroll (going against the original intent of Whistler’s 1987 sign bylaw).
In the last three years, the RMOW has limited its enforcement of the signs, including for non-food-and-beverage businesses not included in the pilot.
But the municipality has received “significant feedback” about signs from both residents and guests during the pilot, while the use of sandwich boards has expanded beyond the original intent, including: businesses using more than one sandwich board; signs positioned outside of designated areas; and signs out of line with the project’s intent of providing a positive guest experience.
In a letter sent to business owners on Oct. 26, the RMOW said it would scale the pilot project back to its original intent, and begin enforcement on Dec. 1 (first with warnings, then through ticketing after Dec. 15).
Under the pilot’s guidelines, food and beverage businesses are permitted one sandwich board, and the signs are required to be “of a high quality” while utilizing handwritten lettering with “artistic flair,” and are encouraged to highlight daily specials.
Signs can’t obstruct pedestrian walkways, stairs or ramps, must be placed directly in front of the business, tight to the planter wall or patio edge, and can’t be bigger than 0.6 square metres and 1.5 metres in height.
Council will consider an updated sign bylaw in the spring of 2022 “to provide clear and consistent regulations on the use of this type of signage.”
Business owners can direct questions or comments to [email protected].
