RECOMMENDATION:
That
Council endorse the proposal to create and install identification signage and
special events notice signage for the Markham Village, Thornhill and Unionville
Heritage Conservation Districts as outlined in the staff report dated, June 17,
2003;
And
that the design of the signage (as indicated on Figures 2, 3 and 4) and signage
locations (as indicated on Figures 5, 6, and 7) be approved in principle and
that approval be granted to the Manager – Heritage Planning for review and approval
of final details of the proposed Heritage Conservation District Identification
Signage;
And
that approval be granted to the Manager of Street Operations and the Manager –
Heritage Planning to negotiate with other governmental organizations and agencies
the final location of those signs which are proposed to be located within
rights of way outside of the jurisdiction of the Town;
And
that approval be granted to the Manager of Street Operations to proceed with
the manufacturer and erection of identification signage within the Markham
Village, Thornhill and Unionville Heritage Conservation Districts;
And
that the cost of the supplies required for the signage program (wooden posts,
intecel board, applique, stain, etc.) and installation, at an upset cost of
$14,500, to be paid for from the Heritage Preservation Account (Reserve)
087-2800115;
And
further that a report be brought forward on final design and location details
with respect to special events notice signage for the Markham Village,
Thornhill and Unionville Heritage Conservation Districts.
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this report is to request that
Council endorse a proposal to create and install heritage conservation district
identification signage and special event notice signage for the Markham Village, Thornhill
and Unionville Heritage Conservation Districts and to authorize the Town of
Markham Sign Shop to produce and install the signage.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
Heritage conservation district identification
signage is felt to be needed to help delineate and celebrate Markham’s special
heritage areas. Recently, Heritage
Markham and Heritage Section staff have been working with community
representatives to achieve appropriate entry signage designs for each district
and to identify desirable locations for sign placement. During this consultation, a need for
complementary special event notice signage became evident. The overall response to the proposed
signage program from all three affected communities has been overwhelmingly
positive.
The proposed signage is intended to serve a
number of functions including: enhanced
community identity or theme; community education regarding District boundaries
and the special nature of the heritage districts; and community pride and
beautification.
It is recommended that the signage be produced
in-house by the Markham sign shop. This
will result in a considerable savings to the municipality in terms of cost of
initial production, ongoing maintenance and possible future replacement of
damaged signs. If supported, work will
begin this summer. The final design and
locations of the proposed special event notice signs are still being reviewed
by staff and will be the subject of a separate report in the future (target
date August 25, 2003 Development Services Committee) .
BACKGROUND:
At
its meeting of May 9, 2001, Heritage Markham established a sub-committee of
committee members and local representatives to address the need for entry
signage for the three heritage districts (Thornhill, Markham Village and
Unionville). The objectives of the
sub-committee were as follows:
- to examine the need for
identification signage at the entry points of the three heritage
districts;
- to determine what type
of information should be on the signage and whether the signage
requirements of other groups can in some way be incorporated into this
signage;
- to address the design
of the signage
- to determine
appropriate locations for the signage
- to consult with local
groups and organizations that may have an interest in this project (BIAs,
resident associations, historical groups), and
- to make recommendations
to Heritage Markham and Town staff.
Identification signage for
Heritage Conservation Districts has been discussed since 1980s
The
subject of signage for the Town’s heritage areas has been under discussion
since the early 1980s. In 1984, prior
to the designation of Markham’s historic communities as heritage conservation
districts under the Ontario Heritage Act, Council approved in principle
the concept of establishing entry signage for the heritage communities of
Markham and directed Heritage Markham to prepare a design.
Heritage
Markham subsequently had a design prepared by Capon and Austin, a local design
firm, which would allow the basic shape of the sign to be the same throughout
the Town, but would allow each historic area to be individualized with their
logo, name and historical data.
In
1987, Council authorized Capon and Austin to finalize design specifications and
exact installation locations for the Thornhill Heritage Conservation District
signs in consultation with the
Thornhill heritage district advisory committee (now part of Heritage
Markham). Consultation was also
undertaken with the City of Vaughan to ensure consistency in signage for both
halves of the Thornhill community.
Council authorized
erection of signage in Thornhill and future heritage districts in 1991
On
May 28, 1991 Council recommended approval of the proposed design for the
heritage district identification signs for the Thornhill-Markham heritage
conservation district, and authorized an expenditure of $7,260.000 for the
design and construction of two single-sided cedar sandblasted ground signs.
At the same meeting, Council also recommended that approval be given to
the erection of heritage conservation district signage when the establishment
of the Markham and Unionville Heritage Conservation Districts were
confirmed.
Sign erected on John Street
– Yonge Street sign was not approved
The
Heritage Conservation District entry sign for John Street was erected in
1992. The proposed sign for Yonge
Street was not produced, as the Ministry of Transportation, which at that time
was responsible for Yonge Street, would not approve the erection of the sign as
it did not conform to the Ministry’s manual of uniform traffic control
devices.
Town (Heritage Section) staff has discussed signage
with Regional Staff
In
the mid 1990s, the responsibility for Yonge Street through the Thornhill
community was passed to the Region of York.
Region of York staff has indicated that subject to the signage complying
with standard requirements for safety, there would be no objection to the
installation of heritage district entry signs along Regional Roads.
Thornhill
Sign – limited visibility, deterioration and theft
A number of problems were encountered with the Thornhill Heritage
Conservaiton District sign which was located on John Street at the Don
River. These included:
·
Limited visibility
of colours– gold leaf
lettering on white background did not prove to be very visible.
·
Difficult to
maintain – Due to the unique
custom nature of the sign, the Town of Markham Sign Shop was unable to maintain
the sign over time and the sign deteriorated. The company which initially produced the
sign was not able to be of assistance as it went out of business in the late
1990s;
·
Replacement
difficulties – In 2001, the
Thornhill sign was stolen. The original
sign was difficult to replace since the company which initially produced the
sign had gone out of business.
A new sign design is preferred over replacement of original
– Proposed for all districts
Since the original Thornhill sign
had a number of problems it was decided that rather than reproduce the original
sign, Town (Heritage Section) staff would explore options for a more visible,
durable and cost effective type of sign.
It was envisioned that since Markham Village and Unionville are now
designated under the Ontario Heritage Act, that any proposed new standard
district sign approach could be applied to the other two districts, while
allowing for individual traits such as colours, dates, and logo.
Sign Committee reviews district entry signage
The
Heritage District identification sign committee, which consisted of members of
Heritage Markham and business and community representatives from the
communities of Thornhill, Markham Village and Unionville convened four meetings
in 2002 and 2003 to discuss the proposed signage.
The
general consensus reached by the committee was as follows:
- Heritage Conservation
District Identification Signage would be useful in raising awareness of
the heritage district boundaries.
This would have positive results in terms of ensuring compliance
with heritage by-laws and would also help to raise awareness with both
local residents and the traveling public of the location of Markham’s
historic main street commercial areas;
- The signs should have a
design approach which is similar to the original Thornhill sign;
- The deficiencies with
the Thornhill sign should be addressed.
A more durable and visible type of sign should be pursued;
- The production of the
signs by the Town of Markham Sign Shop is the preferred approach for
reasons of cost and ease of maintenance.
- Decorative posts should
be produced for each sign which are painted (or solid stained);
- Three types of signage
are necessary:
- Large Signs (similar to the
original Thornhill Sign) for major entry points into the districts;
- Smaller signs (approximately half
the size of the Thornhill sign) for smaller entry points into the
districts;
- Special Event Notice signs – within the same
design family as the other signs. These signs would provide space for
providing notice of special events (e.g. Unionville Village Festival);
Specific
recommendations for each district were as follows:
Thornhill
- A different colour
scheme should be used, within the heritage palette of colours;
- Brown and beige could
be considered;
- The wheat sheath logo
should be maintained. A revision
to the logo may be required since the original logo is copyrighted;
- “Established 1794” is
suggested on the description line;
Unionville
- Maroon and Cream/White
is preferred for the colour scheme;
- The logo is to be
determined – The Festival Logo and Main Street BIA logo could be
considered;
- “Settled 1794 – Named
1854” have been suggested as a description.
Markham Village
- The colours, logo and
sign shape should follow the same approach as for the street name signs;
- The colours are to be
copper, yellow and white with black accents;
- “Circa 1825” is
suggested on the name line
- “Thank you for visiting
Markham Village” to be applied to the rear of signs where possible.
Town of Markham Sign Shop is able to produce historic
signage
As recommended by the Heritage District Identification Signage
Committee, Town (Heritage Section) staff worked with the Town Sign Shop staff
to design and produce mock-ups of signs as per the specifications recommended
by the committee.
The Sign Shop is able to produce
signs on intecel board. The colours of
the sign would be achieved through vinyl appliqué which resembles a painted
finish.
The Street Services Department has indicated that they are able to
provide the labour to produce the
requested signs and fit the signs within their ongoing work program.
Cost of materials, such as intecel boards, appliqué, enhanced wooden
posts, caps, stain etc. and installation, at an upset cost of $14,500.00 can be
paid for from the Heritage Preservation Account (Reserve) 087-2800115, which
was established specifically for projects such as Heritage District
Identification Signage.
Sign Committee endorses conceptual designs and
proposed materials and locations
At its meeting of May 13, 2003 the Heritage District Identification
Signage Committee reviewed and endorsed in principle the proposed signage for
the three districts. The proposed
locations for the signs were also endorsed.
The committee recommended that, prior to being presented to Council,
local historical and ratepayer groups be circulated the proposals for input.
Heritage Markham endorses conceptual designs and proposed materials
Heritage
Markham, at its meeting of May 14, 2003 reviewed the proposed signage options
and indicated its support for the proposal.
The proposed locations for signs were also endorsed.
Community Consultation – concept endorsed with minor
modifications
As
requested by Heritage Markham, Heritage Section staff consulted with ratepayer,
historical and special events groups in all three communities to obtain
feedback with respect to the signage.
The results of this consultation are summarized in Appendix ‘A’:
Sign Shop could begin to produce signs beginning in the
summer of 2003
Should Council adopt the staff
recommendation to approve the proposed identification signs, the Town (Sign
Shop) will be commencing the production of signs beginning in the Summer of
2003. The sign shop will incorporate
the signs into their ongoing program and will endeavour to produce and erect
signs at all proposed locations by the fall of 2003.
OPTIONS/DISCUSSION:
Signs will enhance identity, understanding of heritage
boundaries and appearance
The proposed heritage district identification signage is intended to
serve the following functions:
- Definition of
Boundaries: The primary function of
the signage will be to define the boundaries of the three heritage
conservation districts in the Town of Markham. As areas designated under Part V of the Ontario Heritage
Act, the three areas are subject to special rules, regulations and guidelines
in order to preserve and enhance their historic character. The proposed signage will enhance
community understanding of where the boundaries of the heritage districts
are, which properties are within the districts and which properties
require heritage permits to undertake certain works on the exterior of
properties.
- Community Identity: It is intended that the proposed signage
will serve to enhance the sense of community identity within the three
districts, by clearly defining the heritage districts as areas which are
of special significance to the Town and the local community. They can help raise awareness with both
residents and the traveling public.
- Community
Beautification: Considerable effort has
been made by the Heritage District Identification Signage Committee and by
Town staff to ensure that the signs are attractively designed and
located. It is intended that the
proposed signage will be attractive features of the village landscape and
will contribute to community beautification.
The
proposed large and small identification signs for each district are illustrated
in Figures 2, 3 and 4. The proposed
location of signage for each district is identified on Figures 5, 6 and 7.
Production of signs in-house will reduce costs of
production and maintenance
The
proposal to produce the signs in-house is intended to bring about a
considerable savings to the municipality in terms of the cost of production of
the signs and ongoing maintenance. The
original Thornhill cedar-sandblasted sign was produced in the early 1990s at a
cost exceeding $3,000.00 per unit. It
is anticipated that by using in-house resources, with enhanced production
techniques, the cost of individual signs will be reduced to a fraction of this
amount (approximately $600.00).
The proposed materials will be more durable
than the original cedar-sandblasted signs.
In the event of deterioration/vandalism/theft of the proposed signs, as
was experienced with the original Thornhill sign, the in-house resources of the
Sign Shop will ensure that the signs can be more easily and expediently
repaired or replaced.
Heritage Section staff and the Heritage
District Identification Signage committee are confident that the use of the
in-house resources of the Sign Shop will achieve quality signage which befits
the importance of the communities which are to be identified. The Sign shop has successfully produced
attractive and well-made heritage signs in the past. An example is the historic signage, which was reproduced for the
Markham Village Train station, which exactly replicates historic signage, which
once existed on the building.
Community support for signage
Regional support for signs on Regional Roads
The Region of York Roads Department has
been contacted with respect to the erection of identification signs along
Regional Rights-of-Way (Yonge Street, Highway #7, etc.). The Region of York has indicated a willingness
to provide a greater flexibility with respect to the design of the signs than
was provided previously by the Province of Ontario. The primary concern of the Region is that the proposed signs are
not to compromise safety and necessary site triangles. Town (Heritage Section and Street Services)
staff will work with the staff of the Region of York to address any concerns.
Sign Shop will finalize concept proposal for special events
notice signs
Should council adopt the staff
recommendation to approve the proposed identification signs, the Sign Shop will
finalize a design concept for the proposed special event notice signs for each
district based on the approved design concept for the identification
signs. The sign shop staff are
currently working with a similar sign from the Town of Orillia as a base model
for the type of special event notice sign that could be used in Markham’s
districts. A detail of the Orillia Sign
and a concept version of the proposed Markham Village sign is outlined in Figure
8. Further consultation with the local
community, businesses and local councillors for each district will take place
prior to the production of the Special Event notice signage. A separate report will be brought forward as
well.
FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS:
The cost of
materials required for the signage (intecel board, appliqué, enhanced wooden
posts, stain, etc.) and installation, at an upset cost of $14,500.00 will be
paid for from the Heritage Preservation Account (Reserve) 087-2800115. The labour for manufacture of the signs will
be undertaken by the Town (Sign Shop) as part of their ongoing work program.
BUSINESS UNITS CONSULTED AND
AFFECTED:
- Town (Street Services Department) staff have been consulted with
respect to design, production and location of signs;
- Region of York (Roads Department) staff have been consulted with
respect to the design and location of signs on Regional Rights of Way;
- Heritage Markham has been consulted with respect to design elements
and heritage permit requirements for the erection of signs in heritage
districts;
- Local Councillors have been consulted;
- Local Ratepayers and Residents Associations, Historical Societies,
BIA’s and other special committees (e.g. Main Street Markham Committee)
have been consulted;
ATTACHMENTS:
Appendix ‘A’ – Community Consultation
Figure 1 – Original Sign – Thornhill Heritage
Conservation District
Figure 2 – Proposed Small and large
identification signs – Thornhill
Figure 3– Proposed Small and large
identification signs – Unionville
Figure 4 – Proposed Small and large identification
signs – Markham Village
Figure 5 – Map - Proposed Sign Locations in
Thornhill-Markham Heritage District
Figure 6 – Map – Proposed Sign Locations in
Markham Village Heritage District
Figure 7 – Map - Proposed Sign Locations in
Unionville Heritage District
Figure 8 – Proposed sign design approach –
Special Event signs
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Valerie Shuttleworth, M.C.I.P., R.P.P.
Director of Planning & Urban Design
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Jim Baird, M.C.I.P., R.P.P.
Commissioner of Development Services
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FIGURE 1
DOCUMENT
#: Q:\Development\Heritage\SUBJECT\SIGNAGE\Entry
Signage Districts\pms0617(F).doc
CONTACTS: Bob
Walter, Town of Markham Sign Shop
101
Town Centre Boulevard
Markham,
ON
