Sign Variance Committee
The full agenda, as filed
All 3 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.
SB21.1adopted
Kramer Design Associates (the "Applicant") has applied for three variances required to allow the Chief Building Official ("CBO") to issue a sign permit to erect and display a third party electronic window sign, displaying electronic static copy (the "Proposed Sign"), on the premises municipally known as 4804-4812 Yonge Street, in Ward 18 - Willowdale (the "Subject Premises"). The Proposed Sign would have a maximum height of 9.02 metres and would contain one rectangular sign face displaying electronic static copy, with dimensions not exceeding 14.5 metres by 4.0 metres, with total sign face area of approximately 58.0 square metres. The Proposed Sign is described further in Attachment 1. The Subject Premises is designated as a Commercial Residential ("CR") Sign District, where third party electronic window signs, such as the Proposed Sign, are not expressly permitted. The Proposed Sign would be situated around 6.3 metres of the westerly limit of Yonge Street, entirely within an area governed by a site-specific area restriction that prohibits third party signs from being erected within 450 meters of this street. It would also be located less than 100 metres from an existing third party roof sign, contrary to the Sign By-law separation requirements. Therefore, variances to Chapter 694 are necessary to allow for a non-permitted third party sign type to be erected in the CR Sign District, with a non-conforming proximity to an existing third party sign, within an area where no third party signs are allowed to be displayed. The Sign By-law contains criteria to be used in evaluating variance application for signs. Specifically, §694-30A states that an application for variance may only be granted where it is established that the Proposed Sign meet each of the eight established criteria. The Sign Variance Committee is required to conduct an evaluation and determine whether the party seeking the proposed variances meets all eight of the mandatory criteria, on the basis of the information presented by the parties before the SVC. Following a review of the Applicant's submissions and additional City staff research, the CBO has determined that there is not a sufficient basis to conclude that the eight criteria in §694-30A of the Sign By-law have been established with respect to the three variances, as described further in Attachment 1 to this report.
The Sign Variance Committee: 1. Refused to grant the requested variances to sections 694-15.A, 694-22.D and 694-24.A(23), required to permit the issuance of a permit for the erection and display of the Proposed Sign, as further described in Attachment 1 to the report (February 27, 2026) 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 refuse to grant the requested variances to sections 694-15.A, 694-22.D and 694-24.A(23), required to permit the issuance of a permit for the erection and display of the Proposed Sign, as further described in Attachment 1 to this report.
SB21.2adopted
JOLT Charge Inc (the "Applicant") has submitted a sign variance application requesting four variances required to allow the Chief Building Official ("CBO") to issue a sign permit to erect and display a double-sided third party electronic ground sign, displaying electronic static copy (the "Proposed Sign"), on the property municipally known as 60 Overlea Boulevard (the "Subject Premises"). The Proposed Sign would have a maximum height of 2.65 meters from grade. It would feature two rectangular sign faces in a back-to-back configuration, oriented east and west targeting vehicle traffic in both directions along Overlea Boulevard. Each sign face would measure 0.93 meters by 1.65 meters, resulting in a sign face area of 1.54 square meters. Further details of the Proposed Sign are provided in Attachment 1. The Subject Premises is designated as an Employment ("E") sign district, which allows for third party electronic ground signs. However, variances are required to permit a reduced setback from the property line, decreased separation distances from sensitive land uses and to exceed the number of ground signs permitted on the Subject Premises. The Sign By-law contains criteria to be used in evaluating variance applications for signs. Specifically, §694-30A states that an application for variance may only be granted where it is established that the Proposed Sign meet each of the eight established criteria. The Sign Variance Committee (the "SVC") is required to conduct an evaluation and determine that party seeking the proposed variances meets all the mandatory criteria, on the basis of the information presented by the parties before the SVC. Following a review of the Applicant's submissions and additional information provided by staff, the CBO has determined that there is 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 four variances, subject to three conditions, as described further in Attachment 1 of this report.
The Sign Variance Committee: 1. Granted the requested variances to sections 694-25.C(2)(d), 694-25.C(2)(e), 694-25.C(2)(f) and 694-25.C(2)(h), each subject to three 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 (February 27, 2026) 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 variances to sections 694-25.C(2)(d), 694-25.C(2)(e), 694-25.C(2)(f) and 694-25.C(2)(h), each subject to three 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.
SB21.3amended
Pattison Outdoor Advertising (the "Applicant") has applied for five 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 premises municipally known as 2200 Markham Road, in Ward 23 - Scarborough North (the "Subject Premises"). The Proposed Sign would have a maximum height of 10.0 metres and would contain two rectangular sign faces displayed in a "V-shaped" configuration, each measuring 5.91 metres by 3.03 metres, with sign face area of 17.91 square metres. The Proposed Sign is described further in Attachment 1. The Subject Premises is designated as Employment ("E") sign district, which allows for third party electronic ground signs. However, variances are necessary due to the Proposed Sign's location in relation to sensitive sign districts, to existing first and third party signs and the sign faces' configuration. The Sign By-law contains criteria to be used in evaluating variance applications for Proposed Signs. Specifically, §694-30A states that an application for variance may only be granted where it is established that the Proposed Sign meet each of the eight established criteria. The Sign Variance Committee is required to conduct an evaluation and determine whether the party seeking the proposed variances meets all eight of the mandatory criteria, on the basis of the information presented by the parties before the SVC. Following a review of the Applicant's submissions and additional City staff research, the CBO has determined that, in the opinion of the CBO, there is sufficient basis to conclude that the eight required criteria in §694-30A of the Sign By-law have been established with respect to the five variances, each subject to three conditions, as described further in Attachment 1 to this report.
The Sign Variance Committee: 1. Refused to grant the requested variances to sections 694-25.C(2)(e), 694-25.C(2(f),694-25.C(2)(g)[2],694-25.(C)(2)(h) and 694-25.C(2)(k), each subject to three conditions, as further described in Attachment 1 to the report (March 2, 2026) from the Project Director, Business Transformation, Toronto Building on behalf of the Chief Building Official and Executive Director, Toronto Building, as required to allow for the issuance of a permit respecting the erection and display of the Proposed Sign at the property municipally known as 2200 Markham Road. 2. Refused to grant the differing requested variances, which were advanced to the Sign Variance Committee by the Applicant for the first time at the hearing of March 13, 2026, these requested variances to sections 694-25.C(2)(e), 694-25.C(2(f),694-25.C(2)(g)[2],694-25.(C)(2)(h) and 694-25.C(2)(k), are each as described in Attachment 1 to the report (March 2, 2026) from the Project Director, Business Transformation, Toronto Building on behalf of the Chief Building Official and Executive Director, Toronto Building, and are in respect to the Proposed Sign as further described in Attachment 1 to the report (March 2, 2026) from the Project Director, Business Transformation, Toronto Building on behalf of the Chief Building Official and Executive Director, Toronto Building, but with the following modification, that each variance is subject to two conditions only, which are as Conditions 1 and 2 are both as described in Attachment 1 to the report (March 2, 2026) from the Project Director, Business Transformation, Toronto Building on behalf of the Chief Building Official and Executive Director, Toronto Building, and that Condition 3 is not applied to the Proposed Sign 3. Granted the differing requested variances, which were advanced to the Sign Variance Committee by the Applicant for the first time, as an alternative "compromise" position, at the hearing of March 13, 2026, these requested variances to sections 694-25.C(2)(e), 694-25.C(2(f),694-25.C(2)(g)[2],694-25.(C)(2)(h) and 694-25.C(2)(k), are each as described in Attachment 1 to the report (March 2, 2026) from the Project Director, Business Transformation, Toronto Building on behalf of the Chief Building Official and Executive Director, Toronto Building, and are in respect to the Proposed Sign as further described in Attachment 1 to the report (March 2, 2026) from the Project Director, Business Transformation, Toronto Building on behalf of the Chief Building Official and Executive Director, Toronto Building, but with the following modification, that each variance is subject to three conditions, described as follows, Conditions 1 and 2 are both as described in Attachment 1 to the report (March 2, 2026) from the Project Director, Business Transformation, Toronto Building on behalf of the Chief Building Official and Executive Director, Toronto Building, and Condition 3 is not as described in Attachment 1 to the report (March 2, 2026) from the Project Director, Business Transformation, Toronto Building on behalf of the Chief Building Official and Executive Director, Toronto Building, but rather is as follows: Condition 3: Between sunset and sunrise the Proposed Sign shall: Operate at a correlated colour temperature (CCT) of 3000 K or lower; or Include light-mitigation technology that upward light trespass and minimized glare, by way of light-blocking louvres above each LED, and a reduction of up to 50 percent manufacturer specified maximum blue-wave output, to the satisfaction of the Chief Building Official.
Staff recommendation as filed
The Chief Building Official and Executive Director, Toronto Building, recommends that: 1. The Sign Variance Committee grant the requested variances to sections 694-25.C(2)(e), 694-25.C(2)(f), 694-25.C(2)(g)[2], 694-25.(C)(2)(h) and 694-25.C(2)(k), each subject to three conditions, as required to allow for the issuance of a permit for the erection and display of the Proposed Sign, as further described in Attachment 1 to this report.