Sign Variance Committee
The full agenda, as filed
All 4 items in the clerk’s order. Each carries the city’s own words: the staff recommendation, what the body decided, and its status. Nothing below is written by us.
SB15.1adopted
Branded Cities Company Canada (the "Applicant") has applied for two variances, each subject to three conditions, required to allow the Chief Building Official ("CBO") to issue a sign permit to modify an existing third party electronic roof sign, containing two sign faces (the "Existing Sign"), into a roof sign with three sign faces (the "Proposed Modified Sign"), on the premises municipally known as 304 Yonge Street (the "Subject Premises"). The Subject Premises also include the addresses 306 Yonge Street and 595 Bay Street, commonly known as the Atrium on Bay ("AOB"). The Subject Premises is located in the Dundas Square Special Sign District (DS-SSD) and is currently subject to specific provisions in Schedule C, Additional Special Sign District Regulations, to Chapter 694, Signs, General, which allows for third party electronic roof signs and the Existing Sign specifically. The specific provisions allow the Existing Sign to have no more than two sign faces, and only the south facing sign face may display electronic copy. To modify the Existing Sign into the Proposed Modified Sign, the Applicant requires variances from the regulations in place. The Proposed Modified Sign would have three sign faces, a maximum height not exceeding 39.75 metres from the top of the roof and would be displaying electronic static and electronic moving copy. The Proposed Modified Sign is described further in Attachment 1. Following a review of the Applicant's submissions review of additional information collected by the City's staff in a supplemental investigation, the CBO has determined that there was not sufficient information to conclude that the eight required criteria in §694-30A of the Sign By-law have been established with respect to the three variances, subject to all of the noted conditions, as required to allow for the issuance of a permit to modify the Existing Sign into the Proposed Modified Sign as described further in Attachment 1 of this report.
The Sign Variance Committee: 1. Refused to grant the requested variances to sections 4.F(1)(a) and 4.F(1)(e)[3] to Schedule C, Additional Special Sign District Regulations, to Chapter 694, Signs, General, each subject to three conditions, as required to allow for the issuance of a permit respecting the modification of the Existing Sign so that it has the characteristics of the Proposed Modified Sign, as further described in Attachment 1 to this report.
Staff recommendation as filed
The Chief Building Official and Executive Director, Toronto Building, recommends that: 1. The Sign Variance Committee refuse to grant the requested variances to sections 4.F(1)(a) and 4.F(1)(e)[3] to Schedule C, Additional Special Sign District Regulations, to Chapter 694, Signs, General, each subject to three conditions, as required to allow for the issuance of a permit respecting the modification of the Existing Sign so that it has the characteristics of the Proposed Modified Sign, as further described in Attachment 1 to this report.
SB15.2deferred
Zelinka Priamo Ltd (the "Applicant") has applied for two variances, each subject to four conditions, required to allow the Chief Building Official ("CBO") to issue a sign permit to erect and display a third party electronic wall sign, displaying electronic static copy (the "Proposed Sign"), on the premises municipally known as 11 Bay Street (the "Subject Premises"). The Proposed Sign features a single rectangular sign face with a width not exceeding 12.80 meters, a maximum length of 3.70 meters, a sign face area not exceeding 46.90 square meters, and a maximum height of 12.80 meters. The Proposed Sign is described further in Attachment 1. The Proposed Sign would be situated within 130 metres of the F.G Gardiner Expressway, entirely within an area governed by a site-specific area restriction that prohibits third-party signs from being displayed within 400 meters of this Expressway. The Subject Premises is designated as a Commercial Residential ("CR") Sign District, where third party electronic wall signs, such as the Proposed Sign, are not expressly permitted. Therefore, variances to Chapter 694 are necessary to allow for a non-permitted third party sign type to be erected within an area where City Council has determined that no third party signs shall be displayed. Following a review of the Applicant's submissions and additional information provided by staff, the CBO has determined that insufficient information was provided to demonstrate that the eight required criteria in §694-30A of the Sign By-law have been established with respect to the two variances, each subject to four conditions, as detailed further in Attachment 1 of this report.
The Sign Variance Committee: 1. Adjourned, at the request of the Applicant, Zelinka Priamo Ltd., the matter of an Application for Two Variances, Each Subject to Four conditions, Respecting One Third Party Electronic Wall Sign - 11 Bay Street, to its June 13, 2025 meeting.
Staff recommendation as filed
The Chief Building Official and Executive Director, Toronto Building, recommends that: 1. The Sign Variance Committee refuse to grant the requested variances to sections 694-15.A and 694-24A(3), 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.
SB15.3adopted
PATTINSON Outdoor Advertising Limited Partnership (the "Applicant") has applied for one variance, subject to seven conditions, 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 premises municipally known as 4711 Steeles Avenue East, in Scarborough (the "Subject Premises"). The Subject Premises is designated as a Commercial ("C") Sign District, which allows third party signs, however, does not expressly permit electronic ground signs sign type. The Proposed Sign would have a maximum height of 10.0 metres from the grade, and would contain two rectangular sign faces, each with a maximum width of 5.91 metres; a maximum length of 3.03 metres, and with a sign face area not exceeding 17.91 square metres. The Proposed Sign is described further in Attachment 1. Following a review of the Applicant's submissions and additional information provided by staff, the CBO has determined that there is sufficient information to conclude that the eight required criteria in §694-30A of the Sign By-law have been established with respect to the one variance, subject to all of the noted conditions, as described further in Attachment 1 of this report.
The Sign Variance Committee: 1. Approved the requested variances to section 694-15.A, each subject to seven 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.
Staff recommendation as filed
The Chief Building Official and Executive Director, Toronto Building, recommends that: 1. The Sign Variance Committee approve the requested variances to section 694-15.A, each subject to seven 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.
SB15.4adopted
This report addresses an appeal of the decision of the Chief Building Official and Executive Director, Toronto Building ("CBO") concerning an application for a Sign Variance (the "Proposed Sign Variance"). The Proposed Sign Variance pertains to one variance sought for one first party ground sign (the "Proposed Sign"). Applicant indicated the sign contained in the Proposed Sign Variance is intended to offer identification and information for Abiona Centre, a registered charity located on property municipally known as 40 Humewood Drive (the "Subject Premises"). Notice of the application for the Proposed Sign Variance was provided to the public, and the CBO conducted a written hearing in accordance with the requirements of the Sign By-law. Various parties participated in the hearing and filed materials in relation thereto. Upon receipt of the materials provided, the CBO made the decision to refuse the application for the Proposed Sign Variance; and at the same time, also made the decision to approve a different sign variance, for a similar sign in the same location and subject to five conditions (the "CBO-Designed Variance"). Specifically, the CBO-Designed Variance imposed conditions on the Proposed Sign that, if illuminated, it shall not be illuminated between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., and that illumination shall not exceed 150 nits at any time, that the readograph copy proposed may only be changed once per day, that evergreen landscaping, at least 1.0 meter in height, shall be installed and maintained in a 1.0 meter radius around the base of the Proposed Sign, and that the Proposed Sign shall be erected substantially in accordance with the Applicant's submission materials. The CBO determined, based on the materials presented by the Applicant and others, that the Proposed Sign Variance would not meet all eight criteria for a variance to be granted. However, the CBO concluded that a sign variance which contained the specified conditions would meet the eight criteria, as these conditions would be sufficient to mitigate the potential for adverse impacts on surrounding properties, and other criteria. After the issuance of the CBO's decision denying the variances requested for the Proposed Sign Variance and granting the variance subject to five conditions required for the CBO-Designed Variance, one of the parties to the hearing, Denise Tarka (the "Appellant"), filed an appeal of the CBO's decision. As a result, the Sign Variance Committee ("SVC") is now conducting an appeal de novo, meaning that the SVC are required to conduct an evaluation to determine whether the Applicant has demonstrated that the Proposed Sign Variance meets all eight criteria, on the basis of the information presented to the SVC. The SVC may decide to refuse, or grant the variances requested by the Applicant for the Proposed Sign Variance, or to make a decision to grant different variances, or impose conditions which the Applicant did not include in the Proposed Sign Variance. It is the CBO's opinion that it has not been established that the Proposed Sign Variance would meet all eight established criteria as contained at §694-30A of the Sign By-law, however that the CBO-Designed Variance, further detailed in Attachment 2, would meet all of the required criteria.
The Sign Variance Committee: 1. Refused the requested variance to 694-21 A(4)(g)[2], required for the implementation of the Proposed Sign Variance consisting of one first party ground sign located on the premises municipally known as 40 Humewood Drive, as described further in Attachment 1 of this report. 2. Approved the variance to 694-21A(4)(g)[2], subject to subject to five conditions, required for the implementation of the CBO-Designed Variance consisting of one first party ground sign located on the premises municipally known as 40 Humewood Drive, as described further in Attachment 2 of this report.
Staff recommendation as filed
The Chief Building Official and Executive Director, Toronto Building, recommends that: 1. The Sign Variance Committee refuse the requested variance to 694-21 A(4)(g)[2], required for the implementation of the Proposed Sign Variance consisting of one first party ground sign located on the premises municipally known as 40 Humewood Drive, as described further in Attachment 1 of this report. 2. The Sign Variance Committee approve the variance to 694-21A(4)(g)[2], subject to subject to five conditions, required for the implementation of the CBO-Designed Variance consisting of one first party ground sign located on the premises municipally known as 40 Humewood Drive, as described further in Attachment 2 of this report.