A business owner in Saanich says a frustrating situation with signs is hurting her imported specialty foods business.
Genna Purcell, who owns Gigi’s Italian and Specialty Foods in Cordova Bay, said business has been down since she was asked by the District of Saanich to stop putting up sandwich boards and flag signs on strata property after a complaint.
Purcell bought those signs, which she takes down each night when she closes the store, because a large sign for the shopping centre in a new strata known as the Haro that lists all the businesses is blocked by trees that were part of the development requirements. The locations of both the trees and the sign were determined by the municipality, she said.
“It’s just a really frustrating situation, and honestly it’s scary. You know, we have huge operating expenses to have a business in Saanich, and we just feel like we are not being supported here,” Purcell said.
The Haro, located on Cordova Bay Road at Doumac Avenue, opened about two years ago. When Purcell opened her store, she asked the district to put in signs on the street to direct people to the shopping centre, similar to signs for Mattick’s Farm or Estevan Village in Oak Bay.
The district didn’t go for it, so the businesses banded together to purchase a large sign for the shopping centre, she said.
But the strata also had to plant trees as part of development requirements, and the trees had to be planted just in front of where the sign would go, she said.
Purcell said she was allowed to have the trees trimmed in order to improve the sign’s visibility, so she paid $500 to have two branches trimmed, which was all that was allowed. The tree-trimming company couldn’t find the store at first, Purcell said.
“They called us and they couldn’t find us, so we had to direct them over the phone, which is just an example of what’s happening to all of our customers,” she said.
Purcell said she’s been receiving complaints from the community since she opened two years ago that people can’t find the store.
“We get calls every single day asking where we are,” she said.
Staff always ask customers how they found the store, and when the sandwich boards and flag signs were up, nine times out of 10 customers said they saw the signs, she said.
Purcell has collected about 150 signatures on a petition asking the municipality to allow the store to continue using its flag signs and sandwich boards.
Ranjit Sharma, owner of Ocean Breeze Spa in the Haro shopping centre, said she has seen her business decrease after she was told to take down portable signs that were on strata property. Walk-in customers have dwindled, as have the number of people calling in to book appointments who mention seeing her sandwich board, she said.
“It’s been much quieter,” Sharma said.
The District of Saanich said in a statement the shopping centre falls under regulations in the district’s sign bylaw and portable signs are not allowed in any area in the district.
The location of all signs and trees on the site were shown on plans and approved through a development permit.
It is possible for tenants of the site to apply to amend the development permit area to relocate the directional/informational signs on the site, the district said.
Purcell said if she submits an application, there’s no guarantee of approval and it will mean more money sunk into signs.
“We just can’t afford to wait a year,” she said.
