August 24, 1999

 TO:Chairman and Members

North York Community Council

FROM:Mr. Edward Tipping, P.Eng.

Director and Deputy Chief Building Official

SUBJECT:Sign By-Law Variance Request

700 Lawrence Avenue West- S99-2374

Purpose:

Evaluate and make recommendations concerning a request by Mr. Leon Lubelski, for a variance from the Sign By-Law to permit the erection of a first party wall signs on the east elevation of the existing commercial building.

Recommendation:

It is recommended that :

1.The request for a variance from the sign by-law be approved.

Council Reference/Background/History:

The area in which the proposed signs are to be located is zoned Industrial C3(4) (see attached site plan). The proposed signs would be on the second and third floor of the east wall of the existing three storey commercial building. The proposed signs would face W.R. Allen Road, and the existing residential zone (RM4) which is located on the east side of the Allen expressway. The proposed signs would be approximately 185 metres (610 ft.) from the residential zone in the east, and the impact from these signs should be minimal to residences in this area.

For this building and in this zone C3(4) the By-law would permit wall signs to cover twenty percent of the first floor wall elevation and fifteen percent of the remaining wall elevation per storey. The by-law does not allow the amount of signage permitted; and not used in a storey to be accumulated, and assigned to another storey.

The applicant wish to erect wall signs in the following amounts :

• zero percent for the first storey, where 20 percent (1345 sq. ft.) is permitted
• ten percent (710 sq ft) for the second storey, where 15 percent (1009 sq. ft.) is permitted .
• 30 percent (1363 sq ft) for the third storey, where 15 percent (640 sq. ft.) is permitted .

The variance being requested is for the amount of signage proposed on the third storey only, the remaining sign areas are below what is permitted by the sign by-law.

The reason for the variance request stems from the physical conditions and nature at the site. The first floor elevation is not visible to motorists from the Allen Expressway, as such, the applicant wishes to install signage on the third floor elevation which is visible to accommodate the first floor as well as the third. In essence accumulate a portion of the area not used on the first and second storey and assign it to the third storey wall elevation.

If the areas of the proposed signs were considered as a whole over the entire wall elevation and compared to what the by-law would permit over the entire elevation, the proposed signage is less than what the by-law would permit to be constructed.

Conclusion:

It is the opinion of this department that the proposed sign area requested are reasonable, and request for a variance from the requirements in the by-law are minor in nature.

Contact Person:

Mario Angelucci P. Eng.

Manager Plan Review (North District)

(416) 395-7535

   Edward Tipping P. Eng.

Director and Deputy Chief Building Official

 cc Councillor M. Feldman

Councillor H. Moscoe

Mr. L. Lubelski