Sign Variance Committee
The full agenda, as filed
All 8 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.
SB6.1received
Appointments to the Sign Variance Committee
At its meeting held December 13, 14, and 15, 2023, City Council appointed the following members to the Sign Variance Committee for a term of office beginning December 16, 2023, and ending December 16, 2027, and until successors are appointed: - Irene Buncel - Derek Lett - Tony Tsui These new appointments fill the positions previously held by Raj Bharati, Beate Bowron, and Brian Huskins whose terms of office came to an end on December 15, 2023. City Council also appointed Janet Ross as Chair of the Sign Variance Committee for a term of office ending on March 9, 2026, and until a successor is appointed.
The Sign Variance Committee: 1. Received the letter (December 29, 2023) from the Manager, Public Appointments, on behalf of the City Clerk.
SB6.2received
Code of Conduct and Municipal Conflict of Interest Act for Sign Variance Committee
The Integrity Commissioner will give a presentation on the Code of Conduct and Municipal Conflict of Interest Act for Sign Variance Committee.
The Sign Variance Committee: 1. Received the presentation (February 2, 2024) from the Integrity Commissioner for information.
SB6.3received
Sign Variance Committee - Roles and Expectations of Public Members
The Project Manager, Public Appointments, City Clerk's Office, will provide a presentation on the roles and expectations of Public Members of the Sign Variance Committee.
The Sign Variance Committee: 1. Received the presentation (February 2, 2024) from the Project Manager, Public Appointments, City Clerk's Office.
SB6.4amended
Overview of Sign By-law and City Policy and Procedures
The Manager, Citywide Priorities, Toronto Building will provide a presentation on Overview of the Sign By-law and City Policy and Procedures.
The Sign Variance Committee: 1. Directed that Confidential Attachment 1 and Confidential Attachment 2 remain confidential in their entirety, as they pertain to the education or training of the Members. 2. Requested the Solicitor, Legal Services to provide a training and education session at its April 5, 2024 meeting, and a presentation on site specific By-law amendments, and the area specific restrictions under the By-law.
SB6.5adopted
OUTFRONT Media Canada L.P. (the "Applicant") has stated that they have been authorized by the owner of the property municipally known as 9 Hanna Avenue (the "Subject Premises") to apply for three variances, each subject to three conditions required to allow for a permit to be issued to erect and display a single-faced third party electronic ground sign, displaying electronic static copy (the "Proposed Sign") on the Subject Premises; and an additional variance required to allow for a new permit to be issued to allow for the display of another single-faced third party electronic ground sign, displaying electronic static copy currently on the Subject Premises (the "Existing Sign"). The Subject Premises is designated Gardiner Special Sign District ("GG-SSD") with the additional designation "I" on the map contained in Schedule A. Further, the Subject Premises is subject to specific area specific provisions contained in Subsection 2BB to Schedule B, Signage Master Plans and Area Specific Amendments, of Chapter 694, Signs, General, which provides for additional unique signage provisions for the Subject Premises. This specific subsection of Schedule B allowed for the Existing Sign to be erected and displayed on the Subject Premises, on the condition that the Existing Sign be the only sign within a specified area. The Appellant will require a variance to this provision of the Sign By-law. The variance required to allow for a permit to be issued for the display of the Existing Sign would be as follows 1) Subsection 2(BB)(1)(k) of Schedule B, to Chapter 694 - There shall be no more than one third party ground sign erected or displayed within the area delineated with heavy lines on the diagram indicated at Subsection BB(2) as Area Map 1 - 9 Hanna Avenue. Proposed New Requirement: The Existing Sign would be one of two signs sign erected or displayed within the area delineated with heavy lines on the diagram indicated at Subsection BB(2) as Area Map 1 - 9 Hanna Avenue The Proposed Sign requires three variances to Chapter 694 to allow for the Chief Building Official ("CBO") to issue the sign permit. The requirements in Chapter 694 which have been requested to be varied, and the proposed varied requirements with respect to the Proposed Sign are summarized below: 1) § 694-26I(4)(a) - The GG-SSD-I may contain an electronic third party ground sign containing electronic static copy, provided the sign face area shall not exceed 50.0 square metres. Proposed New Requirement: The sign face area of the Proposed Sign would be 145.61 square metres. 2) § 694-26I(4)(b) - The GG-SSD-I - may contain an electronic third party ground sign containing electronic static copy, provided the height shall not exceed 15.0 metres. Proposed New Requirement: The height of the Proposed Sign would be 25 metres. 3) § 694-26I(4)(d) - The GG-SSD-I may contain a third party ground sign provided the sign shall be erected only on a premises where, on the day before this chapter comes into effect, an existing lawful ground sign was erected and displayed containing electronic moving copy or electronic static copy as defined by this chapter, and the sign shall replace the existing sign. Proposed New Requirement: The Proposed Sign would not replace existing lawful ground sign which was erected and displayed on the day before this Chapter 694 came into effect containing electronic moving copy or electronic static copy as defined by Chapter 694. The Applicant proposed has that the variances be granted subject to the following conditions: 1) Light shielding technology shall be installed on the Proposed Sign. 2) The sign shall operate with a reduced brightness of 200 NITS between sunset and sunrise. 3) The sign face shall be oriented in a south-westerly direction If the variances are granted, the Existing Sign would have one rectangular sign face facing in a south-easterly direction, displaying electronic static copy, with a maximum sign face area of 146.0 square metres; a maximum vertical dimension (bisecting line) of 8.53 metres; maximum horizontal dimension (centre line) of 17.07 metres, a maximum height of 25.0 metres; and would be one of two signs in the specified area. Similarly, if variances are granted, the Proposed Sign would have one rectangular sign face facing in a south-westerly direction, displaying electronic static copy, with a maximum sign face area of 145.61 square metres; a maximum bisecting line of 8.53 metres; a maximum centre line of 17.07 metres, a maximum height of 25.0 metres and also be located within the specified area of the Subject Premises. The Applicant wants to have two signs on the Subject Premises that are similar to the Existing Sign (one facing southwest and one facing southeast). The Proposed Sign, Existing Sign, and their variances and conditions are explained in Attachment 1. The Chief Building Official and Executive Director, Toronto Building ("CBO") has reviewed the Applicant's submissions and additional information from the Sign By-law Unit staff. The CBO has found that the Applicant has not met the nine criteria in §694-30A of the Sign By-law for either the Proposed Sign or the Existing Sign. Therefore, the CBO does not support granting the four variances that the Applicant has requested for the Proposed Sign and the Existing Sign - the four variances and conditions are in Attachment 1.
The Sign Variance Committee: 1. Refused to grant both the requested variances to sections 694-26I(4)(a), 694-26I(4)(b), 694-26I(4)(d) and subject to three conditions - as required to allow for the issuance of a permit respecting the erection and display of the Proposed Sign; and the requested variance to Subsection 2BB (1)(k) of Schedule B to Chapter 694, Signs, General, as required to allow for the issuance of a permit respecting the alteration, erection and display of the Existing Sign, as further described in Attachment 1 to the report (January 25, 2024) from the Manager, Citywide Priorities, 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 both the requested variances to sections 694-26I(4)(a), 694-26I(4)(b), 694-26I(4)(d) and subject to three conditions - as required to allow for the issuance of a permit respecting the erection and display of the Proposed Sign; and the requested variance to Subsection 2BB (1)(k) of Schedule B to Chapter 694, Signs, General, as required to allow for the issuance of a permit respecting the alteration, erection and display of the Existing Sign, as further described in Attachment 1 to this report.
SB6.6amended
DUE To Construction (the "Applicant") has been authorized by the owner of the property municipally known as 590 Wilson Avenue, in North York (the "Subject Premises") to apply for three variances, 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 face measuring 5.80 metres horizontally by 2.91 metres vertically, with a height of 7.62 metres. The Proposed Sign is described further in Attachment 1. The Proposed Sign requires three variances to Chapter 694 to allow the Chief Building Official ("CBO") to issue the sign permit. The requirements in Chapter 694 which have been requested to be varied, and the proposed varied requirements are summarized below: 1) § 694-24.A(14) - A third party sign shall not be erected or displayed or caused to be erected or displayed in whole or in part within 400 metres of any limit of any portion of Highway 401 contained within the municipal boundaries of the City. Proposed New Requirement: The Proposed Sign would be located approximately 260 metres from Highway 401 access ramp. 2) § 694-25.C(2)(f) - An Employment "E" Sign District may contain a third party electronic ground sign, provided where a sign is located within 250 metres of an R, RA, CR, I or OS sign district, the sign cannot face any premise in the R, RA, CR, I or OS sign district. Proposed New Requirement: The Proposed Sign would be located approximately 200 metres from the CR sign district and it would be facing such district. 3) § 694-25.C(2)(g)[1] - An Employment "E" 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 390 metres from an existing third party electronic sign, located further west on Wilson Avenue. Following a review of the Applicant's submissions and additional information obtained by the City of Toronto staff investigation, the CBO has determined that there is not sufficient basis to conclude that the nine required criteria in §694-30A of the Sign By-law have been established with respect to the variances, as described further in Attachment 1 to this report. As such, the CBO recommends that the variance application for the Proposed Sign be refused.
The Sign Variance Committee: 1. Granted the requested variances to sections 694-24.A(14), 694-25.C(2)(f) and 694-25.C(2)(g)[1], as further described in Attachment 1 to the report (October 20, 2023) from the Manager, Citywide Priorities, 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 590 Wilson Avenue, each subject to the following condition set out below: a. This variance granted (with respect to sections 694-24.A(14), 694-25.C(2)(f) and 694-25.C(2)(g)[1] of the City of Toronto Municipal Code, Chapter 694, Signs, General, as applicable) 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 February 2, 2024; 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, with respect to the Proposed Sign submitted on or after five years from the date of February 2, 2024; 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 February 2, 2024, 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.
Staff recommendation as filed
The Chief Building Official and Executive Director, Toronto Building, recommends that: 1. The Sign Variance Committee refuse the requested variances to sections 694-24.A(14), 694-25.C(2)(f) and 694-25.C(2)(g)[1], 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 590 Wilson Avenue, as further described in Attachment 1 to this report.
SB6.7adopted
Zelinka Priamo LTD. (the "Applicant") has made an application for two variances required to allow the erection and display of one double-sided third party electronic ground sign displaying electronic static copy (the "Proposed Sign") to be located at Employment Sign District ("E Sign District"), which is, immediately to the east of Warden Avenue, and north of Malley Road at the premises municipally known as 757 Warden Avenue (the "Subject Premises"). The Subject Premises is designated as an E Sign District, which permits third party electronic ground signs. The Proposed Sign would have a height of 10 metres, and would contain two rectangular sign faces, with a centre line of 8.69 metres and a bisecting line of 2.30 metres for a maximum a sign face area of 19.99 square metres. The Proposed Sign will be located at the northwest corner of the Subject Premises and will have face orientation(s) to the north and south, is described further in Attachment 1 to this report. The Proposed Sign would require two variances to Chapter 694, to allow the Chief Building Official ("CBO") to issue the sign permit.
The Sign Variance Committee: 1. Granted the requested variances to sections 694-25C(2)(e) and 694-25C(2)(f), as required to allow for the issuance of a permit respecting the erection and display of the Proposed Sign, as further described in Appendix 1 to the report (January 10, 2024) from the Manager, City Wide Priorities, 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 694-25C(2)(e) and 694-25C(2)(f), as required to allow for the issuance of a permit respecting the erection and display of the Proposed Sign, as further described in Appendix 1 to this report.
SB6.8deferred
This report addresses an appeal of the decision of the Chief Building Official and Executive Director, Toronto Building ("CBO") concerning an application for a Signage Master Plan regulating a portion of the premises municipally known as 2075 Bayview Avenue ("2075-Bayview") consisting of the majority of the northern elevation of a the building known as "S-Wing" (the "Specific Location") concerning three variances sought for three first party illuminated wall signs displaying static copy (the "Proposed Signage Master Plan") . Two of the wall signs in the Proposed Signage Master Plan ("Proposed Sign 1" and "Proposed Sign 2") would have been located on the fifth storey, and the other ("Proposed Sign 3") would have been located on the sixth storey of the northerly elevation of the S-Wing building at 2075-Bayview. Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre as represented by Permit World (the "Applicant") applied for the Proposed Signage Master Plan, as described in Attachment 1. The Applicant indicated the three signs contained in the Proposed Signage Master Plan were intended offer identification and wayfinding to guests and patients on the hospital campus. Notice of the application for the Proposed Signage Master Plan 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 deny the application for the Proposed Signage Master Plan; at this same time, the CBO also made the decision to approve a substantively different Signage Master Plan, which while addressing the same location, and similar signs, contained specific conditions regarding illumination (the "CBO-Designed Signage Master Plan"). Specially the CBO-Designed Signage Master Plan, imposed conditions on the signs, that if illuminated, the sign shall not be illuminated between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., and that illumination shall not exceed 150 nits during the period between sunset and sunrise for the signs. The CBO determined that the Proposed Signage Master Plan, would not meet all nine criteria, however, the CBO, determined based on the materials presented by the Applicant and others, that a Signage Master Plan which contained conditions on the illumination of the signs in the Specific Location, would be able to meet the nine 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 Signage Master Plan, and granting the variances, subject to conditions, required for the CBO-Designed Signage Master Plan, one of the parties to the hearing, Eda Di Pierdomenico (the "Appellant") filed an appeal of the CBO's decision. As a result of the Appellant filing an appeal of the CBO's decision, 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 Signage Master Plan meets all nine criteria, on the basis of the information presented to the Sign Variance Committee. The SVC may make a decision to refuse, or grant the variances requested by the Applicant for the Proposed Signage Master Plan, or to make a decision to grant different variances, or impose conditions which the Applicant did not include in the Proposed Signage Master Plan. It is the CBO's opinion that it has not been established that the Proposed Signage Master Plan would meet all nine established criteria as contained at §694-30A of the Sign By-law, but that the CBO-Designed Signage Master Plan as set out in Attachment 2 would meet all of the required criteria.
The Sign Variance Committee: 1. Adjourned, at the request of appellant, the matter for an Appeal of the Chief Building Official's Decision for a Signage Master Plan Application for 3 wall signs on a portion of the premises at 2075 Bayview Avenue, to its March 1, 2024 meeting.
Staff recommendation as filed
The Chief Building Official and Executive Director, Toronto Building, recommends that: 1. The Sign Variance Committee refuse the three requested variances to 694-21F (4)(a) required for the implementation of the Proposed Signage Master Plan consisting of three (3) wall signs located above the first storey of the northern elevation of the S-Wing of the Premises municipally known as 2075 Bayview Avenue, as described further in Attachment 1 of this report. 2. The Sign Variance Committee approve the three variances to 694-21F (4)(a), each subject to subject to two conditions required for the implementation of the CBO-Designed Signage Master Plan consisting of three (3) wall signs located above the first storey of the northern elevation of the S-Wing of the Premises municipally known as 2075 Bayview Avenue, as described further in Attachment 2 of this report.