Chilliwack council passes bylaw amendment banning oversized real estate signs; fines for noncompliant realtors

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“Although these signs may have a very small ‘for sale’ text on them, for example in the corner or at the bottom of the sign, it is clear to both residents and the bylaw department that these signs are advertising the agents’ general services and not advertising a property for sale,” Weston’s report stated. “Often, these signs are located on properties owned by the agents themselves or by their family members. When approached by bylaw Officers regarding these signs, the agents are then entering into exclusive listing agreements (non-MLS listings) simply to circumvent the bylaw.”

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Weston said efforts to date to resolve this issue have been unsuccessful and a bylaw amendment was therefore recommended to help discourage this activity.

Image: City of Chilliwack / Caitlin Weston, manager of bylaw enforcement for the City of Chilliwack, tells council members that city staff will work to achieve compliance from realtors whose oversized signs violate a bylaw amendment. If realtors do not comply with the new bylaw amendment, Weston says realtors can be fined $200 per day.

Of note, council members Chris Kloot and Harv Westeringh excused themselves from the entire bylaw amendment discussion involving real estate agent signs because both are employed as realtors in Chilliwack. Neither one participated and left council chambers altogether during the discussion.

One councillor had very pointed words for the realtors involved in exploiting the existing sign bylaw during Tuesday’s meeting.

“I’ve been fairly vocal for my distaste for these oversized signs in residential neighbourhoods,” Councillor Jeff Shields said. “It’s really just been a couple of bad apples that have ruined it for the whole bunch. I think most realtors have a respect for residential properties. I think that’s their bread and butter. For the few that decide they want effectively billboards in residential neighbourhoods, it just doesn’t work. It’s not a commercial area. I thank staff for coming up with this bylaw. I will support this thing to the end.”

Councillor Bud Mercer questioned why the Chilliwack and District Real Estate Board (CADREB) wasn’t able to effectively intervene in the matter.

“I couldn’t agree more with the comments from Councillor Shields,” Mercer said. “It is unfortunate that there appears to be only a handful of individuals that have pushed [it] this way. I would have hoped that the actual local real estate board had the ability within its own bylaws and mandate to manage themselves. It appears not. It’s unfortunate, but here we are, but so be it. I think we’re doing the right thing. I think the public is tired of turning around in an intersection and seeing a 5×10 billboard looking at them right in the eye from a site. I think the city of Chilliwack is better than that, so thank you to staff for putting the final touches on this.”

Mercer said he was delighted there would be no grandfather clause to allow certain signs to stay in place.

“I’m also comforted with the fact that there’s no grandfathering,” Mercer said. “Once in place, the bylaw will reflect the requirements from those that already have signs up around the city.”

Mayor Ken Popove asked about a time frame for when these oversized signs must come down and what consequences would occur for scofflaws.

Weston said, “We will do some education, we’ll reach out to CADREB, the [real estate] offices as well to educate them on the new bylaw requirements. We do have some signs that are up that we’ve received complaints about previously that we’re well aware of. We’ll start reaching out to those agents directly as well. We do give time to comply. Our goal is voluntary compliance. So I don’t have a set time frame; generally 10 days or so is a reasonable time frame that we request compliance.”

After Popove asked about next steps for real estate agents that don’t comply, Weston advised council that fines would be issued, but city staff prefer not to issue fines.

“If we’re not able to get voluntary compliance, then we would move to issuing fines, unfortunately,” Weston said. “The fines are $200 and that can be issued per day.”

Moving forward, the maximum text copy area for signs at residential strata lots, and for general residential uses with a size less than 4000m²,will be 0.75m² on each side, with a maximum height of 1.75 metres.

After council gave third reading to the bylaw amendment, Councillors Kloot and Westeringh returned to the council meeting and council members proceeded to the next agenda item.