To: Toronto Community Council
Subject: 794 Bathurst Street: Request for approval of variances from Chapter 297, Signs, of the City of Toronto Municipal Code to maintain seven illuminated fascia signs (Ward 23).
Origin: Commissioner, Urban Development Services, upon referral of an application by Meteor Sign Works Ltd., 3615 Weston Road, Unit #7, Toronto, Ontario, M9L 1V8, on behalf of 784899 Ontario Inc., 21 Dobbin Road, Scarborough, Ontario, M1T 1C3. (p:\1997\ug\uds\pln\lu971495.pln)
Recommendations:
1. That City Council approve Application No. 997100 respecting minor variances from Chapter 297, Signs, of the City of Toronto Municipal Code to maintain seven illuminated fascia signs.
2. That the applicant be advised, upon approval of Application No. 997100, of the requirement to obtain the necessary permits from the Commissioner of Urban Development Services.
Comments:
The property is located on the north-west corner of Bathurst Street and Bloor Street West, in a mixed-use (commercial/residential) district. The property accommodates a two storey commercial building.
The applicant is requesting permission to maintain five illuminated fascia signs on the Bathurst Street elevation and two illuminated fascia signs on the Bloor Street elevation of the building (see Figures 1 and 2). The signs have dimensions as follows:
2 @ 4.2 metres length and 1.8 metres height, each having an area of 7.8 m²;
1 @ 3.4 metres length and 1.8 metres height, with an area of 6.1 m²;
4 @ 3.5 metres length and 1.8 metres height, each having an area of 6.4 m² .
The signs do not comply with Chapter 297 of the Municipal Code in the following ways:
The first variance results from the extent of projection of the signs from the building face. The signs exceed the permitted maximum projection of 0.45 metres by 0.16 metres. In this instance, however, the signs are located 2.53 metres above grade and would not endanger nor inconvenience pedestrians.
Respecting the second variance, the Municipal Code allows signs to be erected on the first and second storeys of buildings, but requires signs to be located within the same unit frontage as the related business to ensure that each tenant has an opportunity to display adequate signage. The intent of these provisions is to prevent oversignage and limit the possible negative impact of signage on the streetscape and on the appearance of buildings. In this instance, the signs are located immediately below the second floor windows while the retail business which the signs identify is located on the ground floor. The extensive encroachment of the signs onto the second floor level has resulted in unnecessarily prominent signage which, in my opinion, sets an undesirable precedent for other properties along this section of Bloor Street. Although I would have requested modifications to reduce the amount of encroachment onto the second storey, in this instance the signs have already been installed, and for this reason, I am prepared to recommend approval.
