8.             SIGN MINOR VARIANCE - 1650 CARLING AVENUE

 

DÉROGATION MINEURE AU RÈGLEMENT SUR LES ENSEIGNES -
1650, AVENUE CARLING

 

 

 

Committee recommendation

 

That Council refuse the application to vary the sign area and height provisions of Sign By-law 2005-439 to permit two oversized ground signs adjacent to Carling Avenue and Clyde Avenue.

 

 

Recommandation du Comité

 

Que le Conseil de refuser la demande de changement des dispositions relatives à la surface et à la hauteur des enseignes du Règlement sur les enseignes 2005-439 afin de permettre deux enseignes au sol surdimensionnées proches aux avenues Carling et Clyde.

 

 

 

Documentation

 

1.      Deputy City Manager's report Planning, Transit and the Environment dated
05 January 2007 (ACS2007-PTE-BLD-0005).


Report to/Rapport au :

 

Planning and Environment Committee

Comité de l'urbanisme et de l'environnement

 

and Council / et au Conseil

 

05 January 2007 / le 05 janvier 2007

 

Submitted by/Soumis par : Nancy Schepers, Deputy City Manager/

Directrice municipale adjointe

Planning, Transit and the Environment/Urbanism, Transport en commun

et Environnement 

 

Contact Person/Personne ressource : Sandra Garnett, Manager, Legal and Service Integration

Building Services Branch/Direction des services du bâtiment

(613) 580-2424 x 41544, sandra.garnett@ottawa.ca

 

Kitchissippi (15)

Ref N°: ACS2007-PTE-BLD-0005

 

 

SUBJECT:

SIGN MINOR VARIANCE - 1650 CARLING AVENUE

 

 

OBJET :

DÉROGATION MINEURE AU RÈGLEMENT SUR LES ENSEIGNES - 1650, avenue carling

 

 

REPORT RECOMMENDATION

 

That the Planning and Environment Committee recommend Council refuse the application to vary the sign area and height provisions of Sign By-law 2005-439 to permit two oversized ground signs adjacent to Carling Avenue and Clyde Avenue.

 

RECOMMANDATION DU RAPPORT

 

Que le Comité de l’urbanisme et de l’environnement recommande au Conseil de refuser la demande de changement des dispositions relatives à la surface et à la hauteur des enseignes du Règlement sur les enseignes 2005-439 afin de permettre deux enseignes au sol surdimensionnées proches aux avenues Carling et Clyde. 

 

 

BACKGROUND

 

Delcan Corporation, on behalf of the developer, has submitted an application to vary the By-law to allow for the installation of two oversized pylon ground signs to identify the new Canadian Tire outlet on the subject property.  Installed perpendicular to the street, one sign is to be located on the south side of Carling Avenue at the east end of the property and the second adjacent to Clyde Avenue at the south end of the property (Reference Documents 1 and 2).

 

DISCUSSION

 

The property is located on the south east corner of Carling and Clyde Avenues.  The zoning is CD3 F(1.0) H(22) within a District Linear Commercial Zone 3.  Area land use includes predominantly strip retail commercial businesses adjacent to Carling Avenue servicing the neighbourhood.  Commercial and light industrial uses exist south of the property to the Queensway.  North of the site, north of the retail uses, is residential development.

 

The sign regulations specifically reflect the area land use as these are linked with the Zoning By‑law and the Official Plan.  The zoning designation for the subject property permits district commercial development intended to be at a scale compatible with the character of the local retail commercial uses.  If approved, each sign would have a sign area of 20.15 sq. m. and a height of 9.14 meters.  The By-law permits one pylon sign per street frontage with a sign area of 14 sq. m. at a height of 8 metres.  The proposed signs would exceed the by-law sign area and height limitations by 44 per cent and 30 per cent respectively.

 

The Department requests that variance applicants demonstrate the circumstances that warrant special consideration, such as: where a sign must be set back from the street and, as a result, would not be clearly visible from the street; where there is a permanent obstruction obscuring the sign; or if there are multiple tenants that require identification at a scale clearly visible to passing motorists.

 

The applicant suggests that the increased scale is necessary because the sign adjacent to Carling Avenue will be partially obscured by the building to eastbound traffic, and that the sign at the south west end of the property adjacent to Clyde Avenue is significantly set back from Carling Avenue.  It is the applicant's opinion that the project should be classified a shopping centre, thereby allowing an additional six square metres of sign area (full application submission available).

 

The Department acknowledges that the Carling Avenue road widening requirement limits the location of the ground sign almost to the setback of the building, thus causing the sign to be partially obstructed by the building to eastbound traffic.  However, given the location of the building and proposed landscaping, an increase in area and height would not significantly increase visibility of the sign to eastbound traffic.  The proposed wall signs on the north and west building elevations will be far more visible to eastbound traffic (see Document 3).

 

The Sign By-law does allow additional signage for designated shopping centre projects.  However, the subject project does not meet the definition of a "shopping centre" as defined by the Zoning By-law.  Although the proposed development is an excellent example of a large scale development, the Department is of the opinion that the proposed increase in signage area will not complement the character and scale of the area or promote an active pedestrian-friendly environment.  The permitted signage, which includes signage on the building facades and two pylon signs, is considered sufficient to adequately identify the proposed businesses. 

 

As the applicant has not identified any extenuating circumstances to warrant the requested increase in scale, the Department recommends that the application be refused.

 

CONSULTATION

 

In response to the circulation to area owner/occupant (within 60 metres), community and business groups, four responses were received, one in support and three opposed to the application.  No comments in support were provided.  Concerns expressed include:

 

 

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

 

N/A

 

 

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION

 

Document 1 - Site Plan

Document 2 - Sign Elevation

Document 3 - Building Elevation (West)

 

 

DISPOSITION

 

Corporate Services Department, Secretariat Services Branch to notify the applicant, Delcan Corporation, 1223 Michael Street, Suite 100, Ottawa, Ontario, K1J 7T2 and Councillor Leadman of Council's decision.

 

 

 

 


SITE PLAN                                                                                                          DOCUMENT 1

 

 


SIGN ELEVATION                                                                                                 DOCUMENT 2

 


BUILDING ELEVATION (West)                                                                           DOCUMENT 3