September 14, 1998

To:Toronto Community Council

From:Commissioner of Urban Planning and Development Services

Subject:12 Richmond Street East, Application No. 998031: Request for approval of a variance from Chapter 297, Signs, of the former City of Toronto Municipal Code, upon application by Nevada Bob's Golf, 12 Richmond Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M5C 1M5, on behalf of One Queen Street Inc.,c/o Brookfield Real Estate Mgmt., BCE Place 181 Bay Street, Suite 260, P.O. Box 839, Toronto, Ontario, M5J 2T3. (Downtown)

Purpose:

To review and make recommendations respecting an application for a variance to maintain one illuminated projecting sign and permit one additional illuminated projecting sign at 12 Richmond Street East.

Financial Implications:

Not applicable.

Recommendations:

It is recommended that:

1. City Council approve Application No. 998031 respecting a minor variance from Chapter 297, Signs, of the former City of Toronto Municipal Code to maintain one illuminated projecting sign and permit one additional illuminated projecting sign.

2. The applicant be advised, upon approval of Application No. 998031, of the requirement to obtain the necessary permits from the Commissioner of Urban Planning and Development Services.

Comments:

The property is located on the north side of Richmond Street East, between Yonge Street and Victoria Street, in a mixed-use (commercial/residential) district. The property accommodates a seven storey commercial building. The property is designated under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act. The applicant is requesting permission to maintain one illuminated projecting sign and install a second illuminated projecting sign on the south elevation of the building within the tenant's commercial unit frontage (see Figure 1). The signs each have a length of 1.4 metres and a height of 0.6 metres, with an area of 0.82 m².

The signs do not comply with Chapter 297 of the Municipal Code in that they will overhang the sidewalk by 2.1 metres instead of the permitted 1.0 metre.

At its meeting of November 18, 1996, City Council approved a minor variance application for this tenant to permit a sign which projected 1.52 metres instead of the permitted 1.0 metre. Since then, the applicant has installed a new sign that projects 0.58 metres beyond the previously approved sign. The applicant has advised that the canopy on the building made it difficult to see the previously approved sign. The applicant is proposing to mount a second similar projecting sign on an existing pole west of the existing sign (see Figure 1).

A recent site visit by staff has confirmed that the canopies extend substantially over the pedestrian sidewalk obscuring visibility of the signs from the street. In my opinion, the signs are appropriately located in order to be visible from Yonge Street and Victoria Street. Further, the signs are located approximately 3.0 metres above grade and their extent of projection will not endanger nor inconvenience pedestrians.

Heritage Toronto has advised that they have no objections to this application.

Given these reasons, I am recommending approval of this application.

Contact Name:Lora Mazzocca

Telephone: (416) 392-0421

Fax: (416) 392-7536

E-Mail: lmazzocc@city.toronto.on.ca

Beate Bowron

Director, Community Planning, South District

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