The Toronto Community Council recommends that City Council approve Application No. l998023 requesting minor variances from Chapter 297, Signs, of the City of Toronto Municipal Code to permit one illuminated fascia sign for third party advertising at 1219 Bloor Street West, such approval being conditional upon the applicant being issued a building permit for the reconstruction of the overall building.

The Toronto Community Council submits the following report (March 16, 1998) from the Commissioner, Urban Planning and Development Services:

Purpose:

To review and make recommendations respecting an application for variances to permit one illuminated fascia sign.

Funding Sources, Financial Implications and Impact Statement:

Not applicable.

Recommendation:

It is recommended that City Council refuse Application No. 998023 respecting minor variances from Chapter 297, Signs, of the City of Toronto Municipal Code to permit one illuminated fascia sign.

Comments:

The property is located on the south-west corner of Bloor Street West and Margueretta Street, in a mixed-use (commercial/residential) district. The property accommodates a two-storey vacant building. The applicant is requesting permission to install one illuminated fascia sign for the purposes of third party advertising on the east elevation of the building (see Figure 1). The sign has a length of 7.0 metres and a height of 3.0 metres, with an area of 21m².

The sign does not comply with Chapter 297 of the Municipal Code in the following ways:

(1) the proposed sign will be located within 60 metres from another third party sign; and

(2) third party fascia signs are not permitted on building walls that face a street.

The first variance occurs because the sign is located within 60 metres from another third party sign. The separation distance requirement was introduced into the Municipal Code in order to prevent sign clutter. In this instance, however, the two buildings are approximately 30 metres apart and on opposite sides of Bloor Street. The signs would be oriented in opposite directions, east and west, and would not be visible from the same vantage point.

The second variance occurs because the Municipal Code only permits first party advertising signs to face onto a public street. The intent of this provision is to ensure adequate first party signage for the ground floor tenants of the building and to minimize the visual impact of signage on the streetscape and on the buildings to which they are attached. In this instance, the 21m² sign would cover the upper portion of the second storey and the parapet level of the building and in my opinion, would be unnecessarily prominent for this mainstreet building.

I am recommending that this application be refused, as I find the variances requested to be significant and not within the general intent and purpose of the sign provisions of the Municipal Code.

Contact Name:

Lora Mazzocca

Telephone: (416) 392-0421

Fax: (416) 392-7536

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

The Toronto Community Council reports, for the information of Council, having also had before it, during consideration of the foregoing matter, a communication (March 20, 1998) from Councillor Pantalone, and a copy thereof is on file in the office of the City Clerk.

Mr. Joe Rose, Toronto, Ontario, appeared before the Toronto Community Council in connection with the foregoing matter.