November 25, 1998
To:Toronto Community Council
From:Commissioner of Urban Planning and Development Services
Subject:57 Spadina Avenue, Application No. 998092: Request for approval of a variance
from Chapter 297, Signs, of the former City of Toronto Municipal Code, upon application by
Cieslock Outdoor, 81 Peter Street, 2nd Floor, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 2G4, on behalf of Ballast
Holdings Limited, 82 Spadina Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 2J4. (Downtown)
Purpose:
To review and make recommendations respecting an application for a variance to permit one
illuminated roof sign at 57 Spadina Avenue.
Source of Funds:
Not applicable.
Recommendation:
It is recommended that:
City Council refuse Application No. 998092 respecting a minor variance from Chapter 297,
Signs, of the former City of Toronto Municipal Code to permit one illuminated roof sign.
Comments:
The property is located on the south-east corner of Spadina Avenue and King Street West, in a
reinvestment area (RA) district. The property accommodates a two storey commercial
building. The applicant is requesting permission to remove an existing illuminated third party
roof sign and install a new illuminated third party roof sign in the same location (see Figure
3). The sign has a length of 14.6 metres and a height of 4.3 metres, with an area of 63 m².
The sign does not comply with Chapter 297 of the Municipal Code in that roof signs are not
permitted in RA districts. The sign provisions in RA districts are similar to those in CR and
MCR districts given the wide variety of uses permitted in this district. The former City of
Toronto Council adopted this prohibition on April 24, 1995 based on a study of roof signs
along main streets in CR and MCR districts. The rationale for prohibiting roof signs in RA,
CR and MCR districts is that roof signs detract from the streetscape, and impact both the
skyline views along our commercial streets and the views from adjacent residential districts.
Signs which were legally erected prior to the passing of the by-law and which do not conform
to the current sign provisions of the Municipal Code are permitted to remain as legal
non-conforming. At its meeting of April 1 and 2, 1996, the former City of Toronto Council
adopted By-law 1996-0168 which further amended the sign regulations of Chapter 297 of the
Municipal Code by deleting the replacement provisions for legal non-conforming signs. City
Council adopted this recommendation because it was felt that the continued replacement of
non-conforming signs would serve to prolong the presence of signs in areas where Council
had decided that they are no longer desired and by permitting the erection of new
non-conforming signs, the goal of attrition would take much longer to achieve. While the
signs' faces and attributes can be changed, no changes are permitted to the sign structure,
location or height of legal non-conforming signs.
In this instance, the applicant proposes to remove an existing roof sign and install a new roof
sign of the same size in approximately the same location as the existing roof sign. The sign
would consist of two illuminated sign panels oriented north-south and would be supported by
six metal posts anchored to the roof of the building. The sign would be visible to residential
uses immediately south of the site approximately 40 metres away, as well as to visitors to
Clarence Square Park.
Since the prohibition of roof signs in 1995, I have consistently recommended refusal of
traditional roof signs. I have only recommended approval of roof signs in a few instances,
where the classification of "roof sign" was arguably a technical matter resulting from the sign
being located partially above the roof level or when it was located fully above the roof level
but integrated into the architecture of the building.
The current application proposes a traditional roof sign which will project 7.7 metres above
the building roof line. In my opinion, a new roof sign at this location would contradict the
intent of the Sign By-law. It would also set an unfortunate precedent for other properties in
this area and on all of the main streets in the former City of Toronto.
Given the prohibition of roof signs in this district and the deletion of the replacement
provisions for legal non-conforming signs, I consider the requested variance to be significant
and not within the general intent and purpose of the sign provisions of the Municipal Code. I
am, therefore, recommending refusal 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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