Item - 2025.PH24.5

The Planning and Housing Committee recommends that:

1. City Council refuse the application to amend the Sign By-law to add an area-specific amendment to Schedule 'B' of Chapter 694, Signage Master Plans and Area-Specific Amendments, to replace the existing Sign By-law regulations concerning third party signs applicable to the premises municipally known as 2 College Street with regulations to allow for, and regulate, a single third party electronic roof sign, as described in Attachment 1 of the report (March 4, 2025) from the Chief Building Official and Executive Director, Toronto Building (Interim).

Adopted in 2010, Toronto's Sign By-law is a harmonized, City-wide set of regulations governing signs. Any member of the public may apply to City Council to amend the Sign By-law requesting permanent changes to regulations for specific properties or areas. Upon receiving an application, the Chief Building Official and Executive Director, Toronto Building (the "CBO") assesses the proposal to determine if the proposed changes to the Sign By-law align with the objectives and purposes of the City's regulations, including the Sign By-law itself.

The Bader Group Inc. (the “Applicant”), authorized by the property owner, Gemstone Property Ltd., has applied for a Sign By-law Area-Specific Amendment (the “Proposed Amendment”) for the property located at 2 College Street (the “Premises”). The Proposed Amendment, if approved, would not only permit an expressly prohibited sign type, but it would also institute regulations that significantly diverge from the current standards governing permissible third party signs in the area. Specifically, the Proposed Amendment would allow for and regulate:

- A third party electronic roof sign (the “Proposed Sign”), which is a sign type expressly prohibited, except if within the Dundas Square Special Sign District.

- A sign that would be 18 times larger and nearly 10 times taller than the existing regulations generally permit.

- Positioning a third party sign less than 100 metres of an existing third party sign and less than 30 metres of a controlled intersection, contrary to the minimum separation requirements.

- A third party electronic roof sign with two sign faces facing the same direction, rather than the generally permitted “back-to-back” configuration.

- A third party sign to be erected on a listed heritage building, which would not be permitted under the existing regulations.

Given that third party electronic roof signs are expressly prohibited by the Sign By-law, in order to obtain a permission for the erection of the Proposed Sign at 2 College Street, the Applicant must apply for a Sign By-law amendment. In 2024, City Council amended the Sign By-law, allowing the CBO to refuse applications that conflict with city policies or other by-laws. This change was intended to ensure consistency and prevent applications conflicting with other city policies or by-laws from advancing to Council. In addition to being expressly prohibited by the Sign By-law, the Proposed Sign is inconsistent with heritage policies for 2 College Street, and if made today, this application would be rejected until these conflicts had been resolved. However, since the application was submitted before the 2024 amendment, it may still proceed to Council.

Toronto Building, in consultation with City Planning and Transportation Services Divisions, conducted a thorough review of the Application and supporting materials. It is the opinion of the CBO that the requested area-specific regulations for 2 College Street are not consistent with the broader goals of the City, the objectives of the Sign By-law, or the regulations enacted for the Premises and surrounding area. Therefore, CBO does not recommend approval of the Proposed Amendment.