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Lights out for Vancouver pot shop's strata sign complaint

A cannabis shop on Vancouver's Davie Street can't have a street sign as it would alter the appearance of the strata building, B.C.'s Civil Resolution Tribunal has ruled.

B.C.’s Civil Resolution Tribunal has rejected a Vancouver pot shop’s complaint against its strata council for not being allowed an illuminated sign.

Imagine Cannabis on Davie Street wanted to install a sign just over 13 feet wide. The company name was written in foot-high capital letters made up of “Hollywood-style” light bulbs with the sign hanging from a bracket affixed to the underside of a glass awning.

The building has 22 strata lots in a seven-storey building.

The strata council rejected the sign because it considered it a significant change in the appearance of common property. Owners had rejected the proposed sign.

The company claimed the strata unreasonably withheld consent for the sign contrary to its bylaws about strata lot alterations.

Imagine Cannabis also argued its sign would be consistent with those of other businesses on the same block.

Tribunal member Eric Regehr, in his June 16 decision, found the sign would extend beyond the building’s exterior wall and would, therefore, be an alteration to common property.

“I find that the fact that the sign will be illuminated means that it would be a noticeable change to the public-facing part of the strata’s building,” Regehr said. “I find that this is a significant change to the common property’s appearance despite the presence of other illuminated signs in nearby buildings.”

jhainsworth@glaciermedia.ca

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