Primo鈥檚 Mexican Grill has taken issue with the City of White Rock after the restaurant was told to remove a Mexican flag from its entrance.
General manager Samantha McQuade told Peace Arch News that a city bylaw officer visited Monday and told them to remove one of the two Mexican flags 鈥� which each measure 55cm by 88cm 鈥� that fly above their patio or else they would receive a violation ticket.
McQuade said the bylaw officer told them that someone filed a complaint with the city about the flags.
鈥淔irst off, this is ridiculous that this is even being enforced,鈥� McQuade told PAN Monday. 鈥淚鈥檝e never heard of anything like this in my life.鈥�
A general provision in , consolidated in 2015, says that a sign permit is not required 鈥渇or a commemorative plaque, cornerstone, or patriotic flag.鈥�
鈥淲hat the bylaw officer is saying is that the words 鈥榝or a鈥� means that you can only have one,鈥� McQuade told PAN.
鈥�The bylaw doesn鈥檛 state one flag, it says for a commemorative plaque, etc. So if I have one flag up, does that also mean that I鈥檓 not allowed to have a plaque?鈥�
City of White Rock communications manager Farnaz Farrokhi told PAN Monday that the city received a complaint about the flags from 鈥渁 member of the public.鈥�
Farrokhi said the city鈥檚 bylaw only permits one flag per establishment.
鈥淲hen receiving Bylaw related complaints, the City takes more of a raise awareness and education approach, which is why, our Bylaw Officer, informed Primo鈥檚 Restaurant that they were not in compliance,鈥� Farrokhi wrote.
McQuade said the 鈥渢rivial鈥� issue is a point of frustration, and the restaurant feels 鈥渦nfairly targeted.鈥� She made note of other businesses on Marine Drive that fly more than one flag.
鈥淵our concern is really to come and tell us we鈥檙e going to get a ticket for flying a Mexican flag out of the window?鈥�
McQuade said the flags have been flying for a number of months, and were hung in response to visibility issues caused by Giraffe restaurant, which its doors in November, 2017.
Giraffe, which is located three doors down from Primo鈥檚 (15069 Marine Dr.), is partly concealed by a large hedge.
鈥淩ight now, Giraffe, which has been sitting vacant for I don鈥檛 know how many months, has their bushes growing so far across the sidewalk that when you鈥檙e standing down the street you can鈥檛 see the restaurants up here. We put up the flags so people could see that there鈥檚 something up here,鈥� McQuade said.
aaron.hinks@peacearchnews.com
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