Digital Billboards
Digital Signage Study – May 2012 Update
What’s the issue?
The City’s draft proposals for digital signage have been developed based on feedback from residents and stakeholders. Highlights of the proposed changes to existing regulations for permanent signs on private property include:
- Limit digital signage to billboards only at this time, and allow in many, but not all, commercial and industrial areas of the City
- Establish a maximum night-time brightness for digital billboards – to be the most restrictive in Canada
- Set a minimum length of time that images must remain static in order to minimize distraction
- Introduce new and greater setbacks requirements compared to conventional billboards in order to buffer digital billboards from sensitive land uses.
You are invited to review the background information provided below, followed by the draft proposals, and submit any comments by Friday, June 15, 2012 to digitalsigns@ottawa.ca. The final report is expected to be presented at Planning Committee in September. Residents and stakeholders who submit comments or make a request to be notified of the Planning Committee meeting will be notified of the meeting date and will also be able to make a presentation at Planning Committee.
Background
As directed by City Council, staff is undertaking a review of digital signage technology in order to make recommendations to Council on whether or not to allow digital signs, and if so, to establish appropriate regulations. Digital signs use electronic screens to display programmed text, images, or potentially videos, such as advertisements or public notices. Currently, digital signs are not permitted in the by-law.
What is the digital billboard pilot project?
On August 24, 2010 City Council waived the provisions of a by-law (Permanent Signs on Private Property By-law (Section 170(2)) prohibiting digital messages on billboard signs in order to permit the operation of digital billboard signs as a pilot project, for a maximum two-year period, at the following three locations:
- St. Laurent Boulevard at Tremblay Road
- Carling Avenue at Kirkwood Avenue, and
- Carp Road southeast of Highway 417
This pilot project provides the opportunity to evaluate digital billboards and get public feedback, and constitues an important part of the digital signage study.
Digital Signage Study Consultation
As part of the public consultation process for the digital signage study, staff conducted two online questionnaires for the general public and two stakeholder consultation sessions with community organizations and business representatives. These consultations resulted in valuable feedback on the digital billboard pilot project and on draft proposals to regulate digital signage technology.
Online Questionnaires
In the spring and fall of 2011, the City received feedback on the digital billboard pilot project through two voluntary questionnaires hosted on the City website. Staff received 372 responses to the spring questionnaire and 234 responses to the fall questionnaire, which resulted in the following improvements to the operation of the digital signs:
- sign brightness was reduced between sunset and sunrise
- the most rapidly changing messages featuring the time and temperature were eliminated, and
- the length of City messages was extended.
The questionnaire results will be included as part of the staff report to Planning Committee.
Stakeholder Consultation Sessions
On January 19, 2012, community groups and business representatives were invited to take part in two group discussions. A staff presentation provided an overview of digital signage, discussed the evaluation of the digital billboard pilot project, and presented ideas on how the City could regulate digital signs. A facilitated discussion took place, including a set of specific questions related to the proposed ideas. The comments recorded at those sessions are available online.
Questions? Contact:
Peter Giles
Program and Project Management Officer
Building Code Services
Telephone: 613-580-2424 ext. 21667