Sign Variance Committee
The full agenda, as filed
All 2 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.
SB19.1adopted
Pattison Outdoor Advertising LP (the "Applicant") states that they have been authorized by the owner of the property municipally known as 821 Kipling Avenue (the "Subject Premises") to apply for one variance, subject to one condition, required to allow for a permit to be issued to erect and display a double-faced third party electronic ground sign, displaying electronic static copy on the premises (the "Proposed Sign"). The Subject Premises is designated as an Employment ("E") Sign District, which allows third party electronic ground signs. The Proposed Sign will have two sign faces in a back-to-back configuration, each measuring 6.10 metres horizontally by 3.05 metres vertically with a height of 10 metres. The Proposed Sign is described further in Attachment 1 to this report. The Proposed Sign requires one variance to Chapter 694, to allow the Chief Building Official ("CBO") to issue the sign permit; this variance, if approved, would be subject to one condition. The requirement in Chapter 694 which has been requested to be varied is summarized below: 1) § 694-25.C(g)[1] - An Employment Sign District may contain a third party electronic ground sign, provided the sign be located a minimum of 500 metres from any other third party electronic sign located on the same street. Proposed New Requirement: The Proposed Sign would be located approximately 486.7 metres from a third party electronic sign, located further north on Kipling Avenue If granted, the requested variance would be subject to the following condition: 1) The existing third party roof sign at 821 Kipling Avenue shall be removed prior to the issuance of the sign permit for the Proposed Sign, and any and all associated sign and building permits shall be revoked. Following a review of the Applicant's submissions, as well as research conducted by the Sign By-law Unit staff, the CBO has determined that there is a sufficient basis to conclude that the nine required criteria in §694-30A of the Sign By-law have been established with respect to the requested variance, subject to the noted condition as described further in Appendix 1 to this report.
The Sign Variance Committee: 1. Granted the requested variance to section 694-25.C(2)(g)[1], subject to one condition, 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 11, 2022) from the Project Director, Business Transformation, Toronto Building.
Staff recommendation as filed
The Chief Building Official and Executive Director, Toronto Building, recommends that: 1. The Sign Variance Committee grant the requested variance to section 694-25.C(2)(g)[1], subject to one condition, 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.
SB19.2adopted
Staff Presentation on Area-specific Prohibitions of Third-Party Signs
A number of reports from the Chief Building Official on sign variance applications in certain districts have made reference to "specific areas where third party signs are specifically prohibited ... because third party signs in these locations are inconsistent and incompatible with the surrounding area and would not contribute positively to the quality of Toronto's appearance". The City of Toronto Sign By-law has contained area-specific prohibitions from its initial adoption, with other additional area-specific prohibitions having been added to the Sign By-law by Toronto City Council. It would be helpful to the deliberations of the Sign Variance Committee if additional information on the particulars of when these areas were so designated, as well as relevant information from any staff report(s) on the matter at the time the prohibition was included in the Sign By-law, were made available to the Committee.
The Sign Variance Committee: 1. Requested the Chief Building Official to provide a presentation to the Sign Variance Committee, summarizing the particulars of the establishment of the various area-specific prohibitions at his convenience during one of the Committee's scheduled meetings.
Staff recommendation as filed
That the Sign Variance Committee: 1. Request the Chief Building Official to provide a presentation to the Sign Variance Committee, summarizing the particulars of the establishment of the various area-specific prohibitions at his convenience during one of the Committee's scheduled meetings.