Report to/Rapport au :
Planning and Environment Committee
Comité de l'urbanisme et de l'environnement
20 July 2010 / le 20 juillet 2010
Submitted by/Soumis par : Nancy Schepers, Deputy City Manager/Directrice municipale adjointe, Infrastructure Services and Community Sustainability/Services d 'infrastructure et Viabilité des collectivités
Contact Person/Personne ressource : Beryl Brownlee, Program Manager/Gestionnaire de programmes, Compliance and Enforcement/observation et application
Planning and Growth Management/Urbanisme et Gestion de la croissance
(613) 580-2424 x 31326, Beryl.Brownlee@ottawa.ca
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OBJET : |
dérogation mineure au règlement sur les enseignes - 1026, chemin Baseline |
REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS
That Planning and Environment Committee:
1. Refuse variances to Sign By-law 2005‑439, to allow an illuminated identification ground sign with a height of 7.5 metres instead of three metres, with an area of 15.6 square metres instead of seven square metres and with an internally illuminated message centre having an area of 3.7 square metres, whereas the by-law only allows a non-illuminated message centre no larger than 1.75 square metres.
2. Approve variances to Sign By-law 2005-439, to allow an illuminated identification ground sign on the Baseline frontage with a height of four metres, with an area no greater than 9.3 square metres, which includes an illuminated message centre being no greater than 2.3 square metres using amber lighting, provided the sign is located at least 30 metres from the eastern property line and it has the address on the sign.
RECOMMANDATIONS DU RAPPORT
Que le Comité de l’urbanisme et de l’environnement :
1. Refuse des dérogations au Règlement sur les enseignes 2005-439, visant à permettre un panneau d’identification au sol éclairé, d’une hauteur de 7,5 mètres au lieu de trois mètres, d’une superficie de 15,6 mètres carrés au lieu de sept mètres carrés et comportant un affichage de messages éclairé de l’intérieur d’une superficie de 3,7 mètres carrés, alors que le règlement municipal autorise seulement un affichage de messages non-éclairé ne dépassant pas 1,75 mètres carrés.
2. Approuve des dérogations au Règlement sur les enseignes 2005-439 pour permettre, à la façade donnant sur le chemin Baseline, un panneau d’identification au sol éclairé, d’une hauteur de quatre mètres, d’une superficie maximale de 9,3 mètres carrés et comportant un affichage de messages éclairé de l’intérieur par un éclairage orangé et d’une superficie maximale de 2,3 mètres carrés, à condition que l’enseigne soit située à au moins 30 mètres de la ligne de propriété est et que l’adresse soit indiquée sur l’enseigne.
BACKGROUND
The subject location is the Villa Marconi, which is an institutional long term care facility that also has additional recreational uses (see Document 1). Zoned institutionally, the property is listed as a District 3 institutional site in the Sign By-law. The proposed sign would be used to identify the building and provide information on activities for this facility. Adjacent uses are institutional, farmland (Experimental Farm) and residential.
The owner, Villa Marconi has stated they require better visibility for their facility as the building is set back from street and not clearly visible to the driving public. This sign would be similar to other commercial properties located nearby off Merivale Road that are listed as District 4 commercial lands in the Sign By-law.
This application was originally processed through the delegated authority process. Staff attempted to negotiate appropriate signage with the applicant, but a desirable solution was not achieved. As a result, delegation of authority was lifted as the request for signage is beyond the scope of the Delegated Authority approval process.
DISCUSSION
The Department recommends refusal of the variance application. Review of this area and adjacent uses determined the proposed sign is too large (see Document 3) for this community. It represents more than a 100 per cent increase to the regulations. This type of sign would not be compatible with nearby adjacent residential land uses (see photos on Document 4). Homes on the side street, Farlane Boulevard, would directly face the ground sign and would be substantial impacted by the large scale of the proposed sign with the illuminated message centre. The sign would set a substantial precedent for institutional use signage.
Staff recommend a smaller and more appropriate sign with a height no greater than four metres and with an area no greater than 9.3 square metres. It must also be located at least 30 metres from the eastern property line and have the address installed on the sign for wayfinding purposes. This represents an approximate increase of 30 per cent to the by-law regulations, which is reasonable for this area given the close proximity of residential uses.
The proposed scale of the message centre is excessive given the impact on other uses and the type of red LED lights it would use. This portion of the sign, which constantly changes, would be a distraction to both passing motorists and nearby residents. A smaller changeable area would be more reasonable. The use of amber instead of red illumination would also lessen the impact of the sign to adjacent uses.
Finally, the staff recommended signage, similar to commercial signs in a District 3 zone, would provide for an adequate compromise for this use without adversely impacting neighbours. The Department recommends approval of smaller scaled signage as stated in Recommendation 2 as the recommended signage is consistent with the intent of the By-law.
CONSULTATION
Consultation included a letter sent to owners within a 60 metre radius of the property. The feedback from the technical and public circulation generated eight responses against the proposal and six in favour of the proposal. Those with concerns noted that the sign would be too large to be positioned so close to residential, it would negatively affect the neighbourhood, a smaller sign would serve the purpose and the deviation to the by-law would be too large.
Recent input was received from the Fisher Heights and Area Community Association. They did not support the original request and had concerns with the staff recommendation. The association noted “we have far too much signage pollution around the city as it is”. They also felt the recommended signage was not a minor variance and that the applicant should consider a by-law amendment if they want to have a larger sign for their facility.
Response to Comments
The Department has typically supported minor variances where the increase to the area or height is in the 25 to 30 percent range and there is no overwhelming opposition to the proposed variance. The originally requested Villa Marconi sign would be precedent setting and is not acceptable. Instead, the Department proposes to allow a smaller sign given the scale and the conditions suggested in the recommendation. Approval is conditional on the sign being setback 30 metres from the street corner and the imposition of having the message centre use amber illumination instead of red lighting. Further to the community association’s comments, a by-law amendment is not appropriate as it would provide similar uses larger signs on a City Wide basis and the staff recommended signage would be the better solution for this situation.
COMMENTS BY THE WARD COUNCILLOR(S)
Councillor Hunter is aware of the requested signage, the staff recommended signage and the concerns reflected by the community. The Councillor supports the recommendations made in this report based on further consultations with staff and community stakeholders.
LEGAL/RISK MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS
There are no legal/risk management implications.
TECHNICAL IMPLICATIONS
N/A
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
There are no direct financial implications with this report.
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION
Document 2 Site Plan
Document 3 Proposed Sign Elevation
Document 4 Site Photos
DISPOSITION
City Solicitor/Clerk's Branch to notify the applicant, the owner, and the local Ward Councillor of Committee's decision. Building Code Services will process the sign permit resulting from the Committee direction in accordance with Sign By-law 2005-439.
LOCATION PLAN DOCUMENT 1
SITE PLAN DOCUMENT 2
PROPOSED SIGN ELEVATION DOCUMENT 3
SITE PHOTOS DOCUMENT 4
