The filed record
Application for Two Variances, Each Subject to Four Conditions, Respecting One Third Party Electronic Ground Sign - 3003 Danforth Avenue
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The decision
2025-11-28 · Sign Variance Committee · amended
As filed
The Sign Variance Committee: 1. Granted the requested variance to sections 694-15.A and 694-22.D, each subject to the following four conditions, as required to allow for the issuance of a permit respecting the erection and display of the Proposed Sign, as further described in Attachment 1 to the report (October 29, 2025) from the Project Director, Business Transformation and Citywide Priorities, Toronto Building: 1. The Proposed Sign shall conform in all respects to the specifications 0set out in the Proposed Sign Description in this Attachment, including but not limited to the number of sign faces, configuration, orientation of sign faces, copy displayed, maximum height, maximum sign face area, and location.
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2. The Proposed Sign shall not be erected within 60.0 metres of any premises located, in whole or in part, in an R, RA, I or OS sign district. 3. The sign structure of the Proposed Sign shall not be attached, affixed, combined with, or otherwise associated with, any elements in whole or in part, which may be understood or referred to as "an electric vehicle charging station", prior to all applicable approvals having been obtained for the erection, installation, display or utilization of the "electric vehicle charging station" being presented to the Chief Building Official (CBO); and that no permits for the erection and display of the Proposed Sign, or the modification of the Proposed Sign, shall be issued until such time as sufficient information is provided to the CBO to satisfy the CBO acting reasonably that all applicable approvals for the electric vehicle charging station have been obtained, and that no further approvals for the electric vehicle charging station are required as the date the information is provided to the CBO. 4. Trees on the north frontage of the Subject Premises shall be maintained between the existing first party ground sign and the Proposed Sign, which shall sufficiently block the sign faces from being visible simultaneously from any generally travelled portion of Danforth Avenue to the satisfaction of the Chief Building Official. 2. Granted the following two additional conditions described below: 1. The Proposed Sign shall not have an illumination level that exceeds 150 nits at any time. 2. The variances granted will be null and void, and have no effect of any kind or nature with respect to any application for a permit, with respect to the Proposed Sign submitted on or after five years from the date of December 19, 2025; and shall be null and void and have no effect with respect to an application for a renewal of a permit, with respect to the Proposed Sign submitted on or after five years from the date of December 19, 2025; and also the variance granted is null and void, is of no effect of any kind or nature with respect to any application for a permit, a permit, or a renewal thereof, which relate to the construction, erection, or display of any structure other than the Proposed Sign and if application for a permit, a permit, or a renewal thereof, as well as with respect to any application for a permit, a permit, or a renewal thereof which relate to any lands which were at the date of December 19, 2025, within boundaries of the Subject Premises, but at the time of the subsequent application for a permit, a permit, or a renewal thereof are not so a portion of the Subject Premises.
On the agenda
As the city filed it
JOLT Charge Inc (the "Applicant") has submitted a sign variance application seeking two variances required to allow the Chief Building Official ("CBO") to issue a sign permit to erect and display a double-faced third party electronic ground sign, displaying electronic static copy (the "Proposed Sign"), on the property municipally known as 3003 Danforth Avenue (the "Subject Premises"). The portion of the Subject Premises where the Proposed Sign would be located is designated Commercial Residential ("CR") Sign District, which allows third party signs.
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However, the CR sign district does not expressly permit electronic ground signs. As such, a variance is required to authorize the installation and display of a sign type not currently permitted under the applicable sign regulations. A second variance is necessary to permit the placement of the Proposed Sign within 100 metres of an existing third party sign, which contravenes the minimum separation distance stipulated in the Sign By-law. The Proposed Sign would have a maximum height of 2.65 meters from grade. It would contain two rectangular sign faces in a back-to-back configuration, oriented east and west, perpendicular to Danforth Avenue. Each sign face would measure 0.93 metres by 1.65 metres, and sign face area of 1.54 square metres. Further details of the Proposed Sign are provided in Attachment 1. The Applicant's Submissions indicate that the Proposed Sign would be affixed to a structure that also features an electric vehicle charging station (the "EV charging station"). As Chapter 694 exclusively regulates signs, this report focuses solely on the components associated to the Proposed Sign. All aspects related to the EV charging station, including relevant laws and regulations, are excluded from the scope of this report. Following a review of the Applicant's submissions and additional information provided by staff, the CBO has determined that there is not a sufficient basis to conclude that the eight required criteria in §694-30A of the Sign By-law have been established with respect to the two variances, subject to four conditions, as described further in Attachment 1 of this report.
Staff recommended
The Chief Building Official and Executive Director, Toronto Building, recommends that: 1. The Sign Variance Committee refuse to grant the requested variance to sections 694-15.A and 694-22.D, each subject to four conditions, as required to allow for the issuance of a permit respecting the erection and display of the Proposed Sign, as further described in Attachment 1 to this report.