Item - 2026.SB24.3

The Chief Building Official and Executive Director, Toronto Building, recommends that:

1. The Sign Variance Committee refuse to grant the variance to 694-21.D(4)(a) of Chapter 694, Signs, General, requested to allow for the issuance of a permit for the erection and display of the Proposed Signs on the Subject Premises, as described in detail in Attachment 1 of this report.

This report addresses an appeal of the decision of the Chief Building Official and Executive Director, Toronto Building (“CBO”) concerning an application for a Sign Variance (the “Proposed Sign Variance”), described in Attachment 1 to this report.

The Proposed Sign Variance was originally applied by Madison Group (the "Applicant"), The Proposed Sign Variance pertains to two illuminated first party wall signs displaying static copy (the “Proposed Signs”), which would be located on the uppermost storey of the west tower, one on the north and another one on the south elevations, at the premises municipally known as 15-35 Mercer Street (the “Subject Premises”). The Proposed Signs would each have one rectangular sign face, measuring 3.15 metres vertically by 7.11 metres horizontally, and overall height of approximately 156 metres.

After conducting a review and public consultation in accordance with the requirements of the Sign By-law, the CBO made a decision to refuse to grant the requested variance on the basis that the Proposed Sign Variance did not meet all of the mandatory criteria in §694-30A. Specifically, the CBO determined that the Applicant failed to establish that the Proposed Sign described would be compatible with the development of the premises and surrounding area, would not alter the character of the premises or surrounding area and would not be contrary to the public interest. After the issuance of the CBO’s decision refusing to grant the variance requested for the Proposed Sign Variance, the Applicant filed an appeal of the CBO’s decision.

As a result of the Applicant filing an appeal of the CBO’s decision, the Sign Variance Committee (“SVC”) is now conducting an appeal de novo, meaning that the SVC are required to conduct an evaluation to determine whether the Applicant has demonstrated that the Proposed Signs meet all eight criteria, on the basis of the information presented to the SVC.  The SVC may make a decision to refuse or grant the variances requested by the Applicant, or to grant different variances, or impose conditions which the Applicant did not include in their application.

There is no financial impact resulting from adopting the recommendations in this report.