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.
SB23.1received
Appointments to the Sign Variance Committee
At its meeting on April 22 and 23, 2026, City Council considered Item 2026.CC40.2, Appointment of Public Members to the Sign Variance Committee, and appointed the following members for a term of office beginning April 24, 2026, and ending on April 24, 2030, and until successors are appointed: - Stephen Job - Farzana Jiwani These appointments fill the positions previously held by Janet Ross and Anne Milchberg, whose terms came to an end on April 23, 2026. City Council also appointed Derek Lett as Chair of the Sign Variance Committee for a term of office ending on December 16, 2027, and until a successor is appointed.
The Sign Variance Committee: 1. Received the letter (May 6, 2026) from the Manager, Public Appointments, on behalf of the City Clerk.
SB23.2adopted
JOLT Charge Inc (the "Applicant") has submitted a sign variance application requesting five 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 123 Rexdale 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 Rexdale Boulevard. Each sign face would not exceed 0.95 meters by 1.65 meters, resulting in a maximum sign face area of 1.55 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 other electronic third party signs and sign districts containing 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 meets 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 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 five variances, subject to three conditions, as described further in Attachment 1 of this report.
The Sign Variance Committee: 1. Refused to grant the requested variances to sections 694-25.C(2)(d), 694-25.C(2)(e), 694-25.C(2)(f) 694-25.C(2)(g)[1] 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 (May 1, 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 694-25.C(2)(d), 694-25.C(2)(e), 694-25.C(2)(f) 694-25.C(2)(g)[1] 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.
SB23.3adopted
JOLT Charge Inc (the "Applicant") has submitted a sign variance application requesting one variance 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 3493 Kingston Road (the "Subject Premises"). The Proposed Sign would have a maximum height of 2.65 meters from grade, feature two rectangular sign faces in a back-to-back configuration, oriented northeast and southwest, perpendicular to Kingston Road. Each sign face would measure approximately 0.95 metres by 1.65 metres, resulting in a sign face area not exceeding 1.55 square metres. Further details of the Proposed Sign are provided in Attachment 1. The portion of the Subject Premises where the Proposed Sign would be placed is designated Commercial Residential ("CR") Sign District, which allows third party signs, however, does not expressly permit signs of electronic ground sign type. A variance is required to permit the erection and display of electronic ground sign type in the CR Sign District. The Sign By-law contains eight 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 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 research conducted by staff, the CBO is of the opinion 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 one variance, subject to four conditions, as described in Attachment 1 of this report.
The Sign Variance Committee: 1. Granted the requested variance to section 694-25.B(1), 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 the report (May 1, 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 variance to section 694-25.B(1), 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.