By Laurie Watt

The instinct to give business an edge in these tough economic times is an easy one to understand. So why not allow homebuilders access to city property to ‘advertise’ existing inventory?

Ward 7 Coun. John Brassard put that very question to his fellow councillors recently, and may have been somewhat startled when he received a blanket no for his efforts.
Indeed, a common thread to the opposition was that the city needs less ‘sign clutter,’ not more.

Brassard had asked his colleagues to support his proposal to allow builders to put A-frame directional signs on city property, promoting the availability of new-home inventory. A number of reasons were cited for not supporting his proposal, but perhaps none as valid as the need to avoid unregulated growth of promotional signs on city property, particularly at high-traffic areas like intersections.

Ultimately, it’s about impressions, first and lasting, and a sense of place, both vital components of a community’s ability to develop as a place to work, live and play. What kind of impression would visitors to Barrie have if they saw a city with intersections cluttered by signage? What kind of sense of place would they take away with them?

It may seem like a small thing, but impressions do count. People tend to notice clutter, including, it seems, Communities in Bloom judges, who advised the city to reduce the number of signs dotting the landscape.
This is not to say the city shouldn’t consider ways to promote assist local business; perhaps official rules and guidelines might be in order.
But in the end, the city’s best interests are served by the development of a visually pleasing, uncluttered streetscape that entices visitors to return, and residents to stay. It’s a strategy with the added benefit of promoting local business by attracting people, customers, to this community