Installing a moving message board is OK for one Red Deer McDonald’s restaurant, but not another, city council decided this week.
The two fast-food outlets were among four applicants who wanted a development permit from the city to install dynamic signs with moving print, also called ‘reader boards.’
On Monday, council determined that a dynamic sign could be appropriate for the southside McDonald’s outlet, with a variance application. But they deemed it inappropirate for the downtown McDonald’s.
“It was a double whammy,” explained Jolene Tejkl, a senior planner for the city, since two planning documents for downtown Red Deer stipulate dynamic signs do not belong at the city’s core. While the McDonald’s, across from Superstore, is arguably on the edge of downtown, “they had to draw the line somewhere,” she added.
A dynamic sign application from Academy of Professional Hair Design was also refused for the same reason. Although an existing moving message board is displayed on Red Deer College’s Welikoklad Event Centre across the street, Tejkl said permission for this was obtained several years ago, under different regulations.
A fourth application, for a dynamic sign for the Timberlands strip mall on 30th Avenue, was postponed to late October, since council wanted to further study the impact on neighbouring residential streets.
lmichelin@reddeeradvocate.com
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