9. SIGNS
BY-LAW MINOR VARIANCE - 300 EAGLESON ROAD DÉROGATION MINEURE AU RÈGLEMENT MUNICIPAL SUR
LES ENSEIGNES - 300, CHEMIN EAGLESON |
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
That Council:
refuse a Minor Variance to
Signs By-law 66-98 of the former municipality of Kanata, to permit an oversized
ground sign with a height of 12.8 metres, with increases to the area provisions
for ground signage allowing 20.1 square metres with a readograph area of 4.7
square metres; and in addition, relief is requested to allow oversized wall
signs on the north and east facades of the plaza, each with an area of 31.8
square metres, allowing multiple tenant identification, as detailed in this
report; and
2. Approve a Minor Variance to Signs By-law 66-98 of the former
municipality of Kanata, to permit an oversized ground sign with a height of
10.9 metres, with a readograph area of 3.4 square metres, with a mall
identification area of 5.9 square metres; and in addition, to permit multiple
tenant identification for wall signage, as detailed in the report.
3. Approve Revised Document 3A - Revised Elevation.
RECOMMANDATION DU COMITÉ
Que le Conseil :
1. refuse
une dérogation mineure au Règlement municipal no 66-98 sur les enseignes de
l'ancienne Ville de Kanata visant à permettre une enseigne au sol
surdimensionnée, d'une hauteur de 12,8 mètres et d'une surface de 20,1 mètres
carrés, pourvue d'une aire de message à lettres amovibles de 4,7 mètres carrés;
en outre, le requérant demande une dérogation en vue de permettre des enseignes
murales surdimensionnées sur les façades nord et ouest du centre commercial,
ayant chacune une surface de 31,8 mètres carrés, pour l'identification de
locataires multiples, comme il est indiqué dans le présent rapport;
approuve une dérogation mineure au Règlement municipal no 66-98
sur les enseignes de l'ancienne Ville de Kanata afin de permettre une enseigne
au sol surdimensionnée d'une hauteur de 10,9 mètres dotée d'une aire de message
à lettres amovibles de 3,4 mètres carrés et d'une aire de désignation du centre
commercial de 5,9 mètres carrés, et en outre, en vue de permettre des enseignes
murales d'identification de locataires multiples, comme il est indiqué dans le
présent rapport.
approuve le document revu 3A - Élévations
revues
Documentation
1. Development Services Department General
Manager’s report dated 24 October 2003 (ACS2003-DEV-BLD-0050).
2. Extract of Draft Minutes, 13 November
2003.
Report to/Rapport
au :
Planning
and Development Committee
Comité de l'urbanisme et de l'aménagement
and Council / et au Conseil
29 October 2003 / le 29 octobre
2003
Submitted by/Soumis par : Ned Lathrop, General
Manager/Directeur général,
Development Services/Services d'aménagement
Contact Person/Personne ressource : Sandra Garnett,
Manager / Gestionnaire
Legal
and Services Integration / Insertion juridique et des services
(613) 580-2424
x41544, sandra.garnett@ottawa.ca
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SUBJECT: |
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OBJET : |
DÉROGATION MINEURE AU RÈGLEMENT MUNICIPAL SUR LES
ENSEIGNES - 300, CHEMIN EAGLESON |
REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS
1.
That the Planning
and Development Committee recommend Council:
2.
3.
refuse a Minor
Variance to Signs By-law 66-98 of the former municipality of Kanata, to permit
an oversized ground sign with a height of 12.8 metres, with increases to the
area provisions for ground signage allowing 20.1 square metres with a
readograph area of 4.7 square metres; and in addition, relief is requested to
allow oversized wall signs on the north and east facades of the plaza, each
with an area of 31.8 square metres, allowing multiple tenant identification, as
detailed in this report; and
4.
5.
approve a Minor
Variance to Signs By-law 66-98 of the former municipality of Kanata, to permit
an oversized ground sign with a height of 10.4 metres, with a readograph area
of 4.7 square metres; and in addition, relief is requested to allow multiple tenant identification for wall
signage, as detailed in this report.
RECOMMENDATIONS DU RAPPORT
Que le Comité de
l'urbanisme et de l'aménagement recommande au Conseil :
1. de refuser une dérogation mineure au
Règlement municipal no 66-98 sur les enseignes de l'ancienne Ville de Kanata
visant à permettre une enseigne au sol surdimensionnée, d'une hauteur de 12,8
mètres et d'une surface de 20,1 mètres carrés, pourvue d'une aire de message à
lettres amovibles de 4,7 mètres carrés; en outre, le requérant demande une
dérogation en vue de permettre des enseignes murales surdimensionnées sur les
façades nord et ouest du centre commercial, ayant chacune une surface de 31,8
mètres carrés, pour l'identification de locataires multiples, comme il est
indiqué dans le présent rapport;
2. d'approuver une dérogation mineure au
Règlement municipal no 66-98 sur les enseignes de l'ancienne Ville de Kanata
afin de permettre une enseigne au sol surdimensionnée d'une hauteur de 10,4
mètres dotée d'une aire de message à lettres amovibles de 4,7 mètres carrés; en
outre, le requérant demande une dérogation en vue de permettre des enseignes
murales d'identification de locataires multiples, comme il est indiqué dans le
présent rapport.
BACKGROUND
The site is the Hazeldean
Mall located near the corner of Eagleson and Hazeldean in the former City of
Kanata (see Document 1). The property
abuts NCC lands to the east, commercial to west and residential lands to the
north and south. Adjacent uses are primarily
commercial along Hazeldean with residential uses located behind the adjacent
malls.
The by-law allows a ground
sign at the mall with a maximum area of 19 square metres, with an additional
1.9 square metres of a readograph signage, to a maximum height of 6
metres. A readograph sign is a
changeable message centre installed on main ground signage for the purposes of
informing the public of events or retail sales. The letters can be manually installed or changed by the use of an
electronic message. Wall signage at
this location is allowed for this plaza up to 15% of a wall face provided that
each individual sign not exceed an area of 20 square metres.
Approval of the ground sign
would permit a sign twice the by-law height with increases to the maximum area
regulations. In addition, a variance has been requested to allow oversized wall
signage. The applicant has stated in
the application that the new signage is requested as the mall is renovating the
exterior with new wall finishes reflecting interchangeable
"lifestyle" panels around the building to enhance the retail nature
of the facility, and to provide colour and interest similar to other large
retail centres in Montreal and Toronto.
DISCUSSION
Recommendation 1
The Department has reviewed
the request and is of the opinion that the variances applied for by the
applicant exceeds what is typically requested as a minor variance to the
by-law. The proposed ground sign (see
Document 3) and wall signage (see Document 4) would not be in keeping with the
intent of the by-law and would significantly impact the community with
excessive signage for this streetscape. There are other options for signage at
this plaza that would be more consistent with the scale of other signs in
Kanata, that would not require a substantial increase to the limits of the
by-law.
With a proposed height of
over twice the by-law maximum, the pylon ground sign does not compare with
similar signage in this area of Kanata.
A large sign would impact on adjacent uses such as residential homes
nearby and the NCC greenbelt lands to the east. The extended underside
clearance of the ground sign is not necessary given the fact that the grade is
elevated above the roadway. In
fact, a smaller sign would be more
effective and within natural sitelines for motorists or pedestrians. With the illumination factor, a larger sign
would impact upon residential units to the north and south of the site. In Kanata, a smaller sign was approved for
the Centrum Mall on Terry Fox Drive,
which was approved at 10 metres height.
The wall signage proposed,
to be located along the Hazeldean and Eagleson facades, is to include large
"lifestyle" type signs illustrating images to promote products. This billboard scaled signage is requested
at 31.8 square metres (342 sq ft), represents a 60 % increase to the maximum
size of an individual wall sign under the by-law. Other signs on the same facade will have a conforming area of 16
square metres. At the requested size of
wall signs, the Department concludes
that the signage will be excessive and even beyond the permitted scale of
billboards in other areas of the City.
It would add to the visual clutter in this area. Furthermore, at this scale, the signs would
not be of uniform size to other signs on the same wall face and the wall signs
would not be in line with design features of the building. These illuminated wall signs would also
impact adjacent residential uses on the north side of Hazeldean.
Therefore, the Department recommends the requested
signage be refused.
Recommendation 2
The Department has reviewed
other options with the local ward councillor, the applicant and interested
stakeholders and recommends support of a variance allowing a taller ground sign
on Eagleson Road that would be more consistent in height to the Centrum Mall on
Terry Fox. With a recommended height of
10.4 metres, it is believed that the
sign would not significantly impact
adjacent uses and would provide adequate identification for this
plaza. The proposed sign could be
reduced by taking away some of the design features, trimming the size of the
mall identification and by reducing the underside clearance of the ground sign. This compromise solution would limit the
impact of the sign while providing suitable visibility to the expanded mall.
The variance for the
readograph or message centre portion of the sign is seen as acceptable for this
commercial use. A comparison with other
by-laws illustrates that in the former Ottawa and Nepean regulations there are
abilities to permit a readograph up to 30% of the permitted area of the main
sign. The proposed area of 4.7 metres
is only 25% of the permitted 19 square metres. It is also represents a method of informing the public for the
various tenants and the events that the mall will require given its scale.
Finally, conforming wall signage at or below 20
square metres of area, is the preferred method of identification for this
plaza. At this scale, illumination of the signage is not seen as a
factor. Allowing more than one tenant
sign on the same wall face is seen as acceptable given the scale of this
development and the various tenants at this facility. In addition, the largest tenant, Zellers, would require more than
one sign on this façade since the expansion requires visibility from different
vantage points.
Therefore, the Department recommends approval of the
variances noted in Recommendation 2.
Details of Variances
Requested Variance
(Recommendation 1)
Relief is requested to Signs
By-law 66-98, of the former municipality of Kanata, to permit a ground sign
with a height of 12.8 metres, with an
increase to the area permitted for plaza signage from 19 square metres to 20.1
square metres and with an increase to the allowable area for a readograph sign
from 1.9 square metres to 4.7 square metres.
In addition, relief is requested
to allow four wall signs on the north and east facades of the mall, each with
an area of 31.8 square metres per wall sign from the maximum permitted area of
20 square metres. Finally, relief is requested to allow more than one
tenant identification on the same wall face.
Recommended Variance
(Recommendation 2)
Relief is recommended to
Signs By-law 66-98, of the former municipality of Kanata, to permit a ground
sign with a height of 10.4 metres from 6 metres, with an increase to the
permitted readograph area to 4.7 square metres from 1.9 square metres. In addition, relief is recommended to allow
wall signs on the north and east facades of the mall with more than one tenant
identification on the same wall face.
CONSULTATION
In response to the standard early notification to community and business groups, the circulation did generate concerns from the community regarding height and scale of the proposed signage for the development. Four respondents disagreed with the application and two had no objections. The area Ward Councillor had no objection to this proposal.
The National Capital Commission submitted the following comments:
The NCC does not support the requested variances for the increase in height and the additional readograph portion for the proposed new ground sign. Additionally, we do not support the variances for the increased area for the proposed wall signs for the north and east facades of the plaza.
In our opinion, the magnitude of these variances and the cumulative effect, if granted, would create an undesirable precedent for other lands along other edges of the NCC's Greenbelt.
The visibility of the ground sign from the open Greenbelt landscapes to the north would be overly intrusive and could set a precedent for other similar signs.
Other concerns from the comment are as follows:
The north wall of the Zellers addition has been built on the lot line at Hazeldean Road. No oversized signs should be allowed to further distract motorists on both sides of Hazeldean. The oversized signs will further increase light pollution to surrounding residents. There is no legitimate reason to increase the visibility of the big box store.
The height of the sign will be too high. Since the location of the proposed sign is 15-20 ft higher than the ground level of my property, it would make the height of the sign between 57-62 feet, the equivalent of a 5 to 6 storey building. The light associated with signs would intrude on our family life.
Please consider the effect the reflection of lights will have not only on residents, but also on the wildlife in the natural forest on the NCC property. Please consider that the view from resident's private property, especially on Abbeyhill will be impeded. What is the point of large signage. Anyone driving down Eagleson can easily see the signage for the mall, it won't be any more easily visible being bigger and brighter.
Response to Comments
The Department has reviewed the comments and concurs with many of the concerns stated above from the community. As a result, the report recommends refusal of the requested signage and approval of recommended smaller scaled signage for this mall.
FINANCIAL
IMPLICATIONS
N/A
SUPPORTING
DOCUMENTATION
Document 1 Location Map
Document 2 Site Plan
Document 3 Elevation of Proposed Ground Sign
Document 3A Revised Elevation
Document 4 Elevation of Proposed Wall Signage
DISPOSITION
Corporate Services
Department, Secretariat Services Branch to notify the applicant, Robert
Woodman, Architect, as Agent of Vanreal Developments Inc., 1750 Courtwood
Crescent, Ottawa, Ontario, K2C 2B5; and, the Ward Councillor Alex Munter of
City Council's decision.
LOCATION MAP Document 1
SITE
PLAN Document
2
ELEVATION OF PROPOSED GROUND
SIGN Document
3
Document 3A
ELEVATION OF PROPOSED WALL
SIGNAGE Document
4
