CITY OF TORONTO
URBAN DEVELOPMENT SERVICES
420/997083
Development Approval
Contact: L. Mazzocca
392-0421
January 8, 1998
To: City of Toronto Land Use Committee
Subject: 92 Avenue Road: Request for approval of a variance from Chapter 297, Signs, of the City of Toronto Municipal Code to permit one illuminated fascia sign (Ward 2).
Origin: Commissioner, Urban Development Services, upon referral of an application by Mediacom Inc., c/o Thomas Smith, 377 Horner Avenue, Etobicoke, Ontario, M8W 1Z6, on behalf of Leslie Lichtman, Katalin Lichtman, Globe Stamp Co., c/o Alex Grossman, 3625 Dufferin Street, Suite #207, Downsview, Ontario, M3K 1Z2.
Recommendations:
1. That City Council approve Application No. 997083 as revised respecting a minor variance from Chapter 297, Signs, of the City of Toronto Municipal Code to permit one illuminated fascia sign.
2. That the applicant be advised, upon approval of Application No. 997083, of the requirement to obtain the necessary permits from the Commissioner of Urban Development Services.
Comments:
The property is located on the west side of Avenue Road, between Elgin Avenue and Boswell Avenue, in a mixed-use (commercial/residential) district. The property accommodates an historically designated , 2.5 storey mixed-use building with residential uses on the upper storey and commercial uses below.
The applicant is requesting permission to install an illuminated fascia sign on the south elevation of the building for third party advertising (see Figure s 1 and 2). The sign has a length of 6.1 metres and a height of 6.1 metres, with an area of 37.2 m².
The sign does not comply with Chapter 297 of the Municipal Code in that the area of the sign (37.2 m²) exceeds the maximum area of sign permitted of 25 m² by 12.2 m².
The size of signs is regulated in order to reduce the visual impact of signs on the streetscape and on the buildings to which they are attached. Urban Development Services staff could not support the application as originally submitted and requested that the plans be modified to reduce the size and lower the height of the fascia sign. The applicant’s revised submission proposes a 30 m² sign which is substantially smaller and would be located within the permitted 10.5 metre height limit for 3rd party fascia signs in this district. The revised proposal represents a meaningful improvement in terms of its size and height and would not, in my opinion, adversely impact the streetscape or the surrounding uses.
Heritage Toronto has advised that they have no objections to this application, as revised.
I am recommending approval of this application as revised , as I find the variance requested to be minor and within the general intent and purpose of the sign provisions of the Municipal Code.
John Morand
Commissioner
