Burger King – Has it Their Way
Tuesday, March 19, 2013 @ 3:54 AM
Prince George, B.C.- When it comes to signs, Council wants to make it clear, the writing is on the wall.
At issue, the new sign for the Burger King at the corner of highway 97 and 10th Avenue. The sign is big, has a portion for electronic messages, and it is over height. The maximum was supposed to be 9.0 meters, turns out, the sign is actually 9.9 meters. Seems the concrete base was not included in the height calculation.
So what to do?
The sign likely cost about $100 thousand dollars, and forcing the applicant to tear it down and replace it would “be too high a penalty” in Councillor Dave Wilbur’s opinion.
One neighbour stepped forward to tell Council she thought the sign was “big, bright and ugly”. She said many people only see Prince George as they drive through on highway 97 and she is concerned this big commercial sign is a “blight” on the neighbourhood.
But to more than one Councillor, the issue seemed to be asking for forgiveness rather than approval. There were concerns expressed that by allowing the sign variance, other businesses might follow suit. Councillors also looked at the rejection of a request from Northern Linen to allow an animated sign on highway 97, and the rejection of a request from Northern Electric for an animated, over-height sign on Peden Hill.
City Planner Pam Hext advised Council the City can regulate the brightness of the animated portion of the sign and could make that part of the permit.
The sign variance was approved.
Comments
I’m sure there is a brightness setting on a 100k sign.
“the issue seemed to be asking for forgiveness rather than approval”
Well yeah….didn’t they forget to calculate the base into the height. That was a big OOPS. I hope that whoever they hired to do the sign had to pay for the song and dance at city hall.
This towns turning into a free for all!
That sign is blinding and distracting.
Really agree with Carpenter: this is an obvious case where a sign that is too big and far too bright will be permitted with a nod, nod, wink, wink, from city council. Tch, tch, mustn’t let that happen again, dontcha know. But, hey, mistakes happen, better to apologize later than seek permission first.
Two more years . . .
I think the sign is a blight on Central street and why the heck does it have to be so blindingly bright.
I got a good laugh though when it first went up and read ‘clot ups’ for like a month before they programed it….
Also reminds me of whats up with the Pacific Western Brewery sign… its always off by 7-10 degrees. Makes one wonder if their precision is advertised as being off by that much, then what is the quality control on their product as well?
I agree with most. That sign is out of place and ugly and a big distraction. Like the one they have at College Heights High School. Guess City Hall needs to update their policies to keep up with technologies. Maybe they still use typewriters down there for all we know, considering how they say it takes time to dig up papers..
The concrete footing didn’t cost 100 grand take the sign down and fix it. If I put a buildings to close to the cities easement I have to change it!
And look at there concrete curbs they probably got a good deal. The worst work I’ve seen
LOL.. this is a concern.. really. With our taxes going up..utilities going up, snow removal worst its been, roads in horrific shape and we are worried about a sign on the major road through the city.
People are probably more worried about avoiding the potholes to even notice the sign.
Carpenter is 100% right. Althought I don’t think lowering it .9 of a meter will make it any less of an eyesore.
Does anyone know what parameters they use for these decisions? How do they decline northern linen yet allow that giant red blinding eyesore at the racetrack gas on :wy 97?
SO if you don’t like the sign, don’t buy their burgers. Vote with your wallet.
I think the sign is good for that area. If there is one dig about it, I would say it is a little bright when you come up the access road by where the service station used to be. It certainly is a nicer looking building and surroundings compared to what was there earlier.
1. The sign does not have to be replaced. there are many ways to reduce the height by 90cm with. It will cost some money – perhaps $10 to $15 thousand or so, but it is not a total replacement and in this world learning by mistake is still one of the best learning experiences. It stays with most of us for a long time.
“SO if you don’t like the sign, don’t buy their burgers”
What do you do if you like their burgers?
“Does anyone know what parameters they use for these decisions?”
Whim.
“Maybe they still use typewriters down there for all we know” .. I guess you didn’t see the line item in the latest budget allowing a million+ for new computers…:)
LOL Carpenter.. You are right. The concrete within the Burger King parking lot is the worst i have ever seen anywhere. A grade 2 work experience project maybe.
I agree. Take the sign down cut the concrete base 0.9m and call it a day. If you can afford a 100k sign you surely have a contingency for any mistakes or unkowns that might occur.
Who cares? Keep your eyes on the road.
I think the difference between Northern Linen and the Burger King signs are the proximity to the highway.
how many hamburgers do they have to sell to pay for that monstrosity?
Sounds like you have a few bright signs. You just need to let some more in and you can be the Vegas of the North.
After April first they should add HST NOW EXTINGUISHED to it also. Should bring back lots of lost customers, such as me who refused to pay HST.
Is it possible that the one neighbour that complained about the sign is a friend of Wendy`s owner?
About 40 years ago I lived in Surrey. The feds at that time (Libs) had a tax incentive program for building houses. Anyhoo the program ended that fiscal year so along comes this joker (at the last minute) who dug about 10 foundations and poured them. He had a permit for ten houses, not duplexes. He built ten foundations for ten duplexes despite his Surrey permit. Surrey shrugged and said “, Oh well, alas”. Not zoned for duplexes but he built them anyway. The guy got his tax break, made more money on the duplex scheme and broke Surrey’s single family residential plan. The sky didn’t fall. Overlook the sign unless it falls down. No harm, no foul.
mattyc, I would love to hear how you refused to pay the HST.
He most likely did not frequent any restaurant/eating establishment since the introduction of the HST…..I should have too, I’d be a few pounds towards the healthier side! Haha!!!
Briefly like this RUEZ. Never eat in restaurants. Never shop in BC for items. Stay home and do not spend money. Cancel cell phones. Cancel Tv satalites. Stop using banks. The list of ideas is endless for a determined person like me. I hope soon ALL people will adopt these tactics. Would be great to see all these greedy corporate pigs at the trough go broke. I am here doing everything I possibly can to achieve that end.
Will scan the real estate want ads for a three bedroom cave with a two bicycle dugout alongside, right away.(with city amenities optional). Use my mattress as a banking machine? The list is endless.
The interesting question would be: How many more hamburgers will they sell because of the new style sign versus the old, less expensive type of sign?
I would have thought that with the new building being on the corner and having a sign on it as well, the building could have been the sign.
http://designobserver.com/images/features/babylon2.jpg
I am waiting for the day when that style hits PG.
Where should signage, indeed information overload, be allowed and where should it be restricted (if at all)? What do we, as residents want our urban environment to look and feel like?
Kind of a rhetorical question in this city, isnât it?
Yeah that will show those Liberals!!
I look forward to working and paying my taxes to support people with the mentality of not contributing because of certain political beliefs.
Posted by: gus on March 19 2013 8:19 AM
“SO if you don’t like the sign, don’t buy their burgers”
What do you do if you like their burgers?
Then buy the burgers and politely tell the manager when you do that you think the sign is ugly. OF course, you should do this after he gives you your food.
Posted by: mattyc on March 19 2013 9:19 AM
After April first they should add HST NOW EXTINGUISHED to it also. Should bring back lots of lost customers, such as me who refused to pay HST.
Oh mattyc, did you actually stop eating burgers because of the HST? When nothing changes after we go back to PST adn the same numbers of burgers get purchased, will you recognize that the HST was not the issue you harp about with every single post on here about every single subject?
Headline: People hurt in car crash
Your post: Kill HST
Headline: Burger King’s sign is too bright
Your post: Kill HST
Headline: Person gets Queen’s Jubilee Medal
Your post: If it wasn’t for HST, the medal would have been bigger.
I’m going to miss you when HST is gone Mattyc. You won’t have anything to complain about. It will be paradise for you with pink ponies, yellow unicorns and all the fast food that you missed out because of HST ;)
Mattyc, you say you cancelled a lot of things, Why not your internet connection?There is HTS on that.
Re Burger King sign. Why does the cith not lease out the air space to them. Their into buying air space are they not?
If they’re going to have such a big, expensive sign requiring a variance, shouldn’t it be in English, French, and Carrier? :)
I remember when the body shop that was in Parkhill was told to remove their advertising because it was supposedly distracting to drivers. McDonalds was told to restrict their sign height. I wonder is free hamburger coupons where handed out.
That new building on Ospika right beside the sidewalk, is that legal?
Rules are made to be broken. There is a rebel in every one of us. Right?
The internet connection is one of the only things I did keep. They have been getting that from me and yes I am not happy about it retired senior. But if I cancelled it how could I rave about the HST EXTINGUISHED? And how could I keep up the work to see it EXTINGUISHED? And besides that I better check my last bill again. I aint never heard of HTS before. Are you a campbell lackie looking for some new tax for the people with this HTS? What exactly is that? And don’t lie just tell us straight up so we all know. Of course that is impossible for liberals or their supporters to NOT lie. More lies and scandals daily. Every day of the week in fact. After the HST is EXTINGUISHED just watch on may 14. The LIE-berals will have the same thing happen to them. EXTINGUISHED. Hopefully in all 85 ridings.
SO it the liberals lose in all 85 ridings, they could be……..wait for it……..the Green Party!
Or the NDP a few years ago when they had 2 seats in the whole province and almost didn’t stay a party.
But our saviour and resident document expert Dix (name’s right) will be the shining hope for all us Liberal sinners for our past indiscretions and idle wantings.
This province is going to take one big collective turd when the unionists take over again. We won’t have HST to pay on our burgers because we won’t have jobs to pay for eating at fast food joints anymore.
The sign is too bright,in my opinion.
I find it distracting when travelling south on the bypass, after dark of course.
Point Nine of a metre over height does not sound like much, but do the math,
0.9m = 35.43″
Now if you say “almost three feet” it seems to me that the signs height is well beyond the bounds of the sign height bylaw. The concession from the city brains should have been along the lines of “you can keep the sign if you lower the height to within regulation” The brightness is subjective I suppose, but it is distracting to these old eyes of mine.
Hard to imagine the top of the sign foundation being almost three feet out of the ground “by mistake”
I wonder what city councils’ response would have been to a business person they did not like?
metalman.
Mattyc, Lie, you mean like NDP leader Adrian Dix did when he was part of the Clark NDP government or when he got caught tryin to freeload on translink and thought he had bought a ticket. Is that what you mean or maybe it was the 2 fudgeit budgets by the then Finance Minister who was from Prince George. Is that what you mean?
I guess the City had to now approve the sign (again) as the height is clearly shown on the issued for construction drawings which are the same as the permit drawings. The sign is shown as being 9 meteres tall plus concrete of 900mm (total of 9.9)
Looks like the city overlooked this when the building permit was issued.
Mattcâs …jihad on the HST is nothing short of discriminatory, offensive, and redundant!
Even people who voted against HST would not be as crazy to say they hoped to sink business in our town or Province.
One of the things we do as proud Prince George citizens is support our local & provincial establishments and hope the town and business sector grows allowing us more goods and services and a healthy economy…this is shameful excuse to use your poitical ajenda to harm local business. You need to grow up…how old are you anyway?
He may not answer Lumber1 – he is probably on another road trip to Alberta to buy more construction supplies…
I wonder if the folks complaining about a bright light would do the same on a trip to Vegas!
So, back to the topic. Has anyone read the by-law ? The signs at Spruceland and Pine Centre are taller. Is the height of a sign judged by how many stores are on one property ? Oh, and at night, that BK sign is annoying.
Red2b:”Looks like the city overlooked this when the building permit was issued.”
If that is a fact then the City is at fault and if the City really wants it lower then the City must pay for the cost of an alteration. And yes, it is too bright!
Perhaps the company should have invested the 100 grand in a better looking building and not have such a plain looking almost windowless box of a structure, devoid of any attractiveness. Just my perception perhaps…
After April 1st mattyc is finally going to stay home and pay pst/gst again.
http://inhabitat.com/new-burger-king-restaurant-is-powered-by-wind-and-solar-energy
Here is a BK in Germany with a windmill plus solar panels plus a tall but reasonable sign. I think everyone can tell it is a BK, which is the main thing. Everything else is an intrusion on drivers.
Distracted driving….it’s not OK to use a handheld device while driving but looking at all the flashy business signs are OK?
The only “Beef” I have with the sign….it’s just a bit too bright. But give it some time and with all the dust from all the pot holes that sign with darken down. In the mean time we’ll need to wear our sunglasses at night :)
PGGuy1234 “Then buy the burgers and politely tell the manager when you do that you think the sign is ugly. OF course, you should do this after he gives you your food.”
Sound advice.
Way to bright. Turn that &$^# down. They should just build up the garden around the base .9 meters. Then it will be good to go. 9 meters tall from ground level. Wow I am smart.
Comments for this article are closed.