Primo含羞草研究社檚 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 含羞草研究社� which each measure 55cm by 88cm 含羞草研究社� 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.

含羞草研究社淔irst off, this is ridiculous that this is even being enforced,含羞草研究社� McQuade told PAN Monday. 含羞草研究社淚含羞草研究社檝e never heard of anything like this in my life.含羞草研究社�

A general provision in , consolidated in 2015, says that a sign permit is not required 含羞草研究社渇or a commemorative plaque, cornerstone, or patriotic flag.含羞草研究社�

含羞草研究社淲hat the bylaw officer is saying is that the words 含羞草研究社榝or a含羞草研究社� means that you can only have one,含羞草研究社� McQuade told PAN.

含羞草研究社�The bylaw doesn含羞草研究社檛 state one flag, it says for a commemorative plaque, etc. So if I have one flag up, does that also mean that I含羞草研究社檓 not allowed to have a plaque?含羞草研究社�

City of White Rock communications manager Farnaz Farrokhi told PAN Monday that the city received a complaint about the flags from 含羞草研究社渁 member of the public.含羞草研究社�

Farrokhi said the city含羞草研究社檚 bylaw only permits one flag per establishment.

含羞草研究社淲hen receiving Bylaw related complaints, the City takes more of a raise awareness and education approach, which is why, our Bylaw Officer, informed Primo含羞草研究社檚 Restaurant that they were not in compliance,含羞草研究社� Farrokhi wrote.

McQuade said the 含羞草研究社渢rivial含羞草研究社� issue is a point of frustration, and the restaurant feels 含羞草研究社渦nfairly targeted.含羞草研究社� She made note of other businesses on Marine Drive that fly more than one flag.

含羞草研究社淵our concern is really to come and tell us we含羞草研究社檙e going to get a ticket for flying a Mexican flag out of the window?含羞草研究社�

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含羞草研究社檚 (15069 Marine Dr.), is partly concealed by a large hedge.

含羞草研究社淩ight now, Giraffe, which has been sitting vacant for I don含羞草研究社檛 know how many months, has their bushes growing so far across the sidewalk that when you含羞草研究社檙e standing down the street you can含羞草研究社檛 see the restaurants up here. We put up the flags so people could see that there含羞草研究社檚 something up here,含羞草研究社� McQuade said.

aaron.hinks@peacearchnews.com
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