Item - 2024.SB11.3

The Sign Variance Committee:

1. Refused the variance requested to §694-25.C(2)(d), 694-25.C(2)(f), 694-25.C(2)(g)[1], 694-25.C(2)(h) required to allow the issuance of a permit for the erection and display of the third party electronic ground sign, located on the premises municipally known as 746 Warden Avenue, as described in Attachment 1 to the report (April 23, 2024) from the Manager, City Wide Priorities, Toronto Building.

A decision of the Sign Variance Committee, in the case of a decision to refuse to grant a variance, is final and binding on the date the decision was issued; and in the case of a decision to grant a variance with conditions, the decision is final and binding 21 days after the date the decision was issued unless an application to consider is filed by the ward councillor in accordance with §694-30S of Chapter 694 of the City of Toronto Municipal Code.

BADER GROUP Inc., JOLT Charge Inc. and Concordian Realty Management Inc. (collectively described as the "Applicant") have applied for four variances, each to subject to two conditions, required to allow the Chief Building Official ("CBO") to issue a sign permit to erect and display a double-faced third party electronic ground sign, displaying electronic static copy (the "Proposed Sign"), on the property municipally known as 746 Warden Avenue (the "Subject Premises").

The Subject Premises is designated as an Employment ("E") Sign District, which allows for third party electronic ground signs. The Proposed Sign would have a maximum height of 2.65 metres, and would contain two rectangular sign faces, each with a maximum 0.93 metres horizontal dimension and a 1.65 metres vertical dimension, with a maximum sign face area of 1.54 square metres. The Proposed Sign is described further in Attachment 1.

The requirements in Chapter 694 which have been requested to be varied, and the proposed varied requirements are summarized below:

1) Existing requirement § 694-25C(2)(d): An E – Employment Sign District may contain a third-party electronic ground sign, provided the sign shall not be erected within any required setback of a building from a street as regulated by the City's applicable Zoning By-law. Proposed Varied Requirement: To allow the Proposed Sign to have a setback of 2.0 metres, whereas the minimum Zoning By-law requirement is 3.0 metres.

2) Existing Requirement § 694-25C(2)(f): An E – Employment Sign District may contain a third-party electronic ground sign, provided where a sign is located within 250 metres of an R, RA, CR, I or OS sign district, the sign cannot face any premise in the R, RA, CR, I or OS sign district. Proposed Varied Requirement: To allow the Proposed Sign to be facing premises in the RA sign district approximately 65 metres to the southwest, in the I sign districts 125 metres to the southwest, 175 metres to the southeast and 190 metres to the west, and in the OS and R sign districts approximately 190 metres to the southeast.

3) Existing Requirement § 694-25.C(2)(g)[1]:  An E – Employment Sign District may contain a third party electronic ground sign, provided the sign be located a minimum of 500 metres away from any other third party electronic sign located on the same street. Proposed Varied Requirement: To allow the Proposed Sign to be located 350 metres from another electronic third party ground sign at 757 Warden Avenue.

4) Existing Requirement § 694-25.C(2)(h):  An E – Employment Sign District may contain a third party electronic ground sign, provided there shall be no more than one ground sign or electronic ground sign erected on the premises. Proposed Varied Requirement: To allow the Proposed Sign to be an additional sign erected on a premises containing one first party ground sign.

Each of the requested variances, if granted, would be subject to the following condition:

Condition 1: The sign faces of the Proposed Sign shall each have a sign face area not exceeding 1.54 square metres.

Condition 2: The height of the Proposed Sign shall not exceed of 2.65 metres.

Following a review of the Applicant's submissions and additional information provided by the staff, the CBO has determined that there is not a sufficient basis to conclude that the eight required criteria in §694-30A of the Sign By-law have been established with respect to the four variances, each subject to the noted conditions, as described further in Attachment 1 of this report.