November 25, 1999

To: Toronto Community Council

From: Acting Commissioner of Urban Planning and Development Services

Subject: 1606 Queen Street East, Application No. 999097: Request for approval of minor variances from Chapter 297, Signs, of the former City of Toronto Municipal Code, upon application by Doan Duc Nghiem, 1246 Gerrard Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4L 1Y6, on behalf of Sheila Lui, 148 Boardwalk Drive, Toronto, Ontario, M4L 3X4

(East Toronto)

Purpose:

To review and make recommendations for an application for minor variances to permit one illuminated fascia sign and one illuminated projecting sign, for identification purposes, on the front elevation of the building at 1606 Queen Sreet East.

Financial Implications:

There are no financial implications resulting from the adoption of the report.

Recommendations:

It is recommended that:

(1) City Council approve Application No. 999097 for minor variances from Chapter 297, Signs, of the former City of Toronto Municipal Code to permit one illuminated fascia sign and one illuminated projecting sign, for identification purposes, on the front elevation of the building at 1606 Queen Street East, on condition that the projecting sign be illuminated only between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m. and that this be achieved by means of an automatic timing device.

(2) The applicant be advised, upon approval of Application No. 999097, of the requirement to obtain the necessary permits from the Commissioner of Urban Planning and Development Services.

Comments:

The property is located west of Coxwell Avenue, on the north side of Queen Street East in a (MCR) mixed-use zone district. The property contains a two storey building with a restaurant at the grade level. The applicant is requesting permission to erect one illuminated fascia sign and one illuminated projecting sign, for identification purposes, on the front elevation of the building. The proposed fascia sign is 6.55 metres long and 1.22 metres high with an area of 7.99 mē and the proposed projecting sign is 0.91 metre long and 1.22 metres high with an area of 1.11 mē (see Figure 1 & 2). The proposed fascia sign complies with Municipal Code requirements.

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

1. the area of proposed projecting sign (1.11 mē ) exceeds by 0.61 mē the maximum 0.50 mē sign area permitted;

2. the proposed projecting sign will be erected closer than the required 10 metres from a window of residential use; and

3. the sign will project 1.22 metres over the public walkway instead of the permitted 1.00 metre.

The size of signs above grade is regulated in order to reduce the visual impact of signs on the streetscape and on the buildings to which they are attached. The maximum area of a projecting sign is based on the amount of frontage the commercial unit has on the street. The sign exceeds the permitted size because the frontage of the unit is comparatively narrow. The size of the proposed projecting sign is, in my opinion, acceptable.

With regards to the second variance, the owner has agreed that, as a condition of approval, the proposed projecting sign will be illuminated between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m., to be achieved by means of an automatic timing device.

The third variance results from the extent of the sign's projection from the building face. The proposed sign would project 1.22 metres over the public walkway which exceeds by 0.22 metre the maximum 1.0 metre projection permitted by the Municipal Code. The proposed sign will be located on the second storey of the building. The extent of projection will not endanger or inconvenience pedestrians.

I am therefore recommending approval of this application on the basis that the variances requested for this projecting sign are minor in nature and in keeping with the general intent and purpose of the sign provisions of the Municipal Code.

Contact: Norm Girdhar

Telephone: (416) 392-7209

Fax: (416) 392-0580

E-Mail: ngirdhar@toronto.ca

Beate Bowron

Director, Community Planning, South District

List of Attachments:

Key Map

Site Plan

Elevations

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