Item - 2023.PH4.1

The Planning and Housing Committee recommends that:

1. City Council approve the application to amend Chapter 694, Signs, General as outlined in Appendix 1 to the report (May 17, 2023) from the Chief Building Official and Executive Director, Toronto Building (Acting), including: adding new regulations for the Woodbine Special Sign District, allowing for, and regulating first party electronic signs and first party signs displaying static copy or readograph copy signs, as well as third party electronic signs and third party signs displaying static copy to Schedule C, Special Sign District Regulations, to Chapter 694, as sections 7 and 8 of Schedule C,; amending the limits of the area-specific restrictions concerning Highway 427 and Highway 27 as contained in subsection 694-24(A) of Chapter 694 to exclude the premises municipally known as 555 Rexdale Boulevard; and, altering the sign district designation applicable to 555 Rexdale Boulevard from Employment (“E”) Sign District to Woodbine (“WB-SSD”) Special Sign District by amending Schedule A, Maps, to Chapter 694 by replacing the current Sign District Map Ward 2: Etobicoke North, with a map substantially similar to the map in Attachment 2 the report (May 17, 2023) from the Chief Building Official and Executive Director, Toronto Building (Acting).

City of Toronto Municipal Code, Chapter 694, Signs, General, the "Sign By-law" is a harmonized, City-wide set of regulations governing signs which was adopted in 2010. The Sign By-law contains a process for any member of the public to apply to City Council to amend the Sign By-law to implement significant changes to the sign regulations for a specific property or area. Under the provisions of the Sign By-law, applications may be made requesting amendments to the Sign By-law to change the sign district designation for a specific premises or area.

In addition to the nine Sign Districts across the city, the Sign By-law currently contains seven “Special Sign Districts” which are areas of the city where the style, number, and/or type of signs are contributing factors to the character of that area. All premises in the city are designated as belonging to one of these sixteen sign districts or special sign district designations. Upon initially being adopted in 2010, the Sign By-law contained six Special Sign Districts. In response to new development and redevelopment in specific areas of the city, Council has since amended the Sign By-law to add the Entertainment District Special Sign District, amend the provisions of the Gardiner Gateway Special Sign District, as well as update the regulations to three of the other Special Sign Districts to reflect changes in the Sign By-law.

This report makes recommendations to City Council based on the review and analysis of an application from Kramer Designs Associates (the "Applicant") which requests the creation of a new Special Sign District. This request would change the sign designation for the premises municipally known as 555 Rexdale Boulevard as indicated in Schedule A of the Sign By-law from an Employment (“E”) Sign District to a new Woodbine  Special Sign District (“WB-SSD”).

555 Rexdale Boulevard currently contains the Woodbine Racetrack and Casino. The Applicant seeks to have City Council amend the Sign By-law as follows:

·  Create a Woodbine Special Sign District, which would contain unique regulations to allow for, and regulate, first party and third party signs displaying static and electronic sign copy;

·  Alter the sign district designation applicable to 555 Rexdale Boulevard from an Employment (“E”) Sign District to the Woodbine (“WB-SSD”) Special Sign District; and,

·   Modify the area-specific restrictions listed in 694-24A of the Sign By-law which prohibit third party signs from being displayed within 400 metres of Highway 427 and Highway 27.

This application qualifies for consideration by City Council as an amendment to the Sign By-law as it would alter the sign district designation of a premises, specifically 555 Rexdale Boulevard, as well as to amend Section 694-19 of Article III to add the Woodbine Special Sign District.

Toronto Building, in consultation with City Planning and Transportation Services, conducted a thorough review of the application and has concluded that based on the planned redevelopment at 555 Rexdale Boulevard, the creation of a Woodbine Special Sign District is the most efficient and effective way to meet the signage needs for the premises. For the reasons set out in this report, the Chief Building Official and Executive Director, Toronto Building (Acting) ("CBO") supports the proposal to amend the Sign By-law, which will create and implement the Woodbine (“WB-SSD”) Special Sign District; and to change the sign district applicable to 555 Rexdale Boulevard.