Report to/Rapport au :

Planning and Environment Committee

Comité de l'urbanisme et de l'aménagement

and Council / et au Conseil

12 August 2005 / le 12 août 2005

Submitted by/Soumis par : Ned Lathrop, Deputy City Manager/

Directeur municipal adjoint,

Planning and Growth Management/Urbanism et Gestion de la croissance 

Contact Person/Personne ressource : Sandra Garnett, Manager / Gestionnaire

Legal and Service Integration / Insertion juridique et des services

Building Services/Direction des services du bâtiment

(613) 580-2424 x41544, sandra.garnett@ottawa.ca

Rideau-Rockcliffe (13)

Ref N°: ACS2005-PGM-BLD-0020

SUBJECT:	SIGN BY-LAW MINOR VARIANCE - 551A Montreal Road
OBJET :	DÉROGATION MINEURE AU RÈGLEMENT SUR LES ENSEIGNES – 551A, chemin montreal

REPORT RECOMMENDATION

That the Planning and Environment Committee recommend Council REFUSE a Minor Variance to the Sign By-law of the former City of Ottawa, to allow a proposed third-party advertising billboard ground sign to be located within 140 metres of an adjacent billboard sign, whereas the by-law requires a minimum setback between billboards of 150 metres.

RECOMMANDATION DU RAPPORT

Que le Comité de l’urbanisme et de l’environnement recommande au Conseil de REFUSER une dérogation mineure au Règlement sur les enseignes de l’ancienne Ville d’Ottawa visant à permettre l’emplacement d’un panneau d’affichage au sol d’une tierce partie à 150 m au plus d’un panneau d’affichage adjacent alors que le Règlement requiert une marge de recul minimale de 150 m entre les panneaux d’affichage.

BACKGROUND

The site is a narrow strip of vacant land located off Montreal Road that runs parallel to Hillside Drive (see Document 2). Hillside Drive is the main access for numerous townhouse and apartment units located north of the site on Hillside, Oasis, Pondside and Highwood private roadways. Adjacent uses off Montreal Road are primarily commercial including a bank, hotel and a shopping plaza. The property is zoned CD (commercial) and is listed within a District 4 use zone in the Sign By-law.

Based on the by-law, a billboard sign is permitted subject to height, area and setback provisions. The sign would have a height of 7.6 metres and an area of 18.5 sq metres. In the current by-law, a billboard sign must be at least 150 metres from the nearest part of any other billboard sign. In addition, a billboard must be 2 metres from a public street and set back the same distance as a building on an abutting premises that is within 30 metres of the proposed sign. As the sign regulations are in transition, it is necessary to refer to both by-law regulations in this application. Differences in the by-laws are not a factor as the proposed harmonized Sign By-law will have the same billboard regulations in urban areas.

The applicant intends to move the sign back to be flush with the adjacent Royal Bank building to be in compliance with the front yard setbacks. However, a variance is requested as the proposed billboard would be within 140 metres of an adjacent billboard located at the corner of Montreal Road and St. Laurent Boulevard. Records indicate that a billboard existed on the western edge of the adjacent mall at a time when the requirements were less restrictive. The billboard was removed a while ago with the redevelopment of the site.

The applicant believes that the existing billboard sign has no bearing on the proposed billboard sign given the orientation of the signs and the commercial sites that exist between the two sign locations.

DISCUSSION

The Department has reviewed the request and is of the opinion that the proposed sign does not satisfy the intent and purpose of the by-law. Factors related to this request did not demonstrate extenuating circumstances that would justify the requested variance.

Specifically, the location of the proposed billboard sign with its scale and illumination near the gateway to a residential community would provide an undesired negative impact to this area. In terms of impact on adjacent/area land use, there is an existing multi-unit residential community with numerous condominium units directly north of the location of the proposed sign. Hillside Drive serves as the main entrance for these residential units and the sign would be viewed at the corner for all who use this roadway. The intent of the Sign By-law is to regulate signs in a way that provides adequate setbacks and limits sign clusters where appropriate. A billboard sign at this location would be seen as incompatible with this mixed use environment.

In addition, concern was expressed that the proposed sign may cause confusion and possible safety issues as an obstruction to pedestrians and vehicles. Given the proximity to a busy intersection, the billboard sign of this scale may create a distraction to motorists using this route or exiting/entering the intersection. There was an expressed concern from the community that a commercial sign near the entranceway to residential may confuse drivers to believe that the roadway would be an entrance to the adjacent shopping mall.

The location of this sign would increase the sign density in this area and impact on surrounding uses. There are currently several commercial signs in this area installed at adjacent commercial uses/malls and an additional billboard would increase the sign proliferation and provide visual clutter on this section of Montreal Road. The property is currently a vacant landscaped property and the addition of a billboard here would detract from the aesthetics of the existing streetscape.

The Department recommends refusal of the requested minor variance. In this case, the proposed signage would not maintain the intent of the by-law regarding the signage density in this area, the impact upon adjacent uses and the potential distraction that the sign may cause to motorists.

CONSULTATION

The Ward Councillor is aware of the application and does not support the application. In response to the standard early notification to community and business groups, there were 57 who did not support the application and two responses who supported the application. Further detail is provided in Document 1.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

N/A

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION

Document 1 Response to Circulation

Document 2 Location Map

Document 3 Site Plan

Document 4 Elevation of Proposed Signage

DISPOSITION

Corporate Services Department, Secretariat Services Branch to notify the applicant, ViaCom Outdoor Canada, Attention Sean Watts, 565 Industrial Ave, Ottawa, On K1G 0Z1 and Ward Councillor Jacques Legendre of City Council's decision.

Document 1

RESPONSE TO CIRCULATION

Details of the Public Consultation

Councillor Legendre’s Comment

“The Hillside Drive intersection with Montreal Road provides access to a residential community that is not readily visible due to its considerable setback from the major artery. Hillside Drive meets Montreal Road at a point between a commercial plaza to the east and other commercial properties (Bank, restaurant/bar) to the west. The intersection is frequently confused with the entrance to these properties – mostly the plaza. Montreal Road, in the vicinity of this location, sees many vehicular left-turning movements across 4 lanes of traffic. There are currently many large signs in this area of the north side of Montreal Road.

A large billboard at this location would increase the perception that Hillside is the entrance to commercial establishments. Further, it would increase the level driver distraction in a busy area already over-burdened with such distractions.

For these reasons, I am not supportive of this application.”

Condominium Corporations

Our community is strongly opposed to this application for three reasons.

The first is safety. The proposed sign would add another distraction on a heavily traveled portion of Montreal Road, an area already saturated with signage. The addition of another sign may well result in an increase in collisions with both humans and vehicles.

The second is the loss of trees and green space at the entrance to a residential area. The narrow strip of land affected by this application is well kept with a stand of trees in reasonable good health. These trees help to reduce the road noise from one of the busiest intersections in the east end, namely Montreal Road and St. Laurent Boulevard.

Third is increased traffic into a residential area due to confusion over where the real entrance to Hillside Plaza, 585 Montreal Road really is. Currently, an average of nine cars per day turn into Hillside Drive believing they can access this shopping center from Hillside Drive. Any sign located at the Hillside Drive entrance will cause confusion and encourage motorists to utilize Hillside Drive and thus increase the traffic onto the private condominium properties.

In addition, the proposed sign will become an eyesore, as graffiti will definitely be added to the sign, as its proposed location is conducive to such activities.

Any sign adjacent to Hillside Drive will add to the confusion and promote more traffic and frustration by motorists.

Additional feedback

• We do not want our environment polluted by publicity. There are already plenty of ads on the nearby streets.
• The City must review its policy for signs. To often, it is visual pollution and a safety issue.
• This would be an incredible eyesore that would detract from the neighbourhood -an example where spurious commercial interests would ride roughshod over the interests of the community.
• I do not believe that we should uproot trees and destroy greenspace on a road that is already saturated with commercial/business sites.
• The sign would cause depression of the property value.
• A sign of this magnitude will tend to change the already limited residential aspect of the entrance to our project.
• This should be denied. It will be an eyesore and a safety hazard trying to exit on Montreal Road. We have enough signs. This area is also highly residential with Hillside being the entrance to approximately 300 residential units.
• The billboard sign could further confuse automobiles and result in increased billboard pollution on Montreal Road, increased traffic on Hillside Drive, unpleasant consequences for residential home owners and higher safety risk for pedestrians.
• The existing by-law is there to protect the aesthetic values of our residential and commercial neighbourhoods. The proposed sign, within 140 m of an existing one, will drastically diminish the harmony between commercial tenants and residents off Hillside Drive. Let’s not forget this is the City of Ottawa and our nation’s capital….not a Las Vegas Strip!!
• Totally against such destruction of a pleasant access. This could cause motorist distraction with accidents.
• There are already too many signs in this area. The target intersection is already too congested and dangerous. Overall, this sign will cause accidents. Such a sign would most decidedly look ugly. As a resident at Oasis, I would like a fairly decent entry look to our neighbourhood. Aesthetics are important to City planning.
• I agree with the project. Try to make it such that the sign is aesthetically pleasing and the damage to trees and shrubs are minimized.
• Ottawa needs to re-evaluate its policy on signage and put in place by-laws that are more restrictive. What kind of image are we trying to portray of the Nation’s Capital?

Response to Comments

Although billboards are permitted subject to setback requirements, the Department acknowledges the significant impact that a billboard sign would have at this specific site given it’s proximity to an adjacent residential community and the possibility of safety concerns with the sign being near an roadway entrance off a busy collector.

Document 2

LOCATION MAP

Document 3

SITE PLAN

Document 4

ELEVATION OF PROPOSED SIGNAGE