2.             SIGN BY-LAW MINOR VARIANCE - 10 CHESTERTON DRIVE

 

DÉROGATION MINEURE AU RÈGLEMENT SUR LES ENSEIGNES - 10, PROMENADE CHESTERTON

 

 

 

Committee recommendation

 

That Council approve a variance to Sign By-law 2005-439, to permit on the subject property an internally illuminated identification ground sign, that features a changeable message centre display with an area of 1.9 square metres instead of 1.75 square metres.

 

 

Recommandation du Comité

 

Que le Conseil approuve une dérogation mineure au Règlement sur les enseignes 2005-439 afin de permettre sur la propriété en question un panneau d’identification au sol, éclairé de l’intérieur et avec affichage de messages modifiables, d’une surface de 1,9 mètres carrés au lieu de 1,75 mètres carrés. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Documentation

 

1.      Deputy City Manager, Planning, Transit and the Environment report dated 19 August 2008 (ACS2008-PTE-BLD-0030).


Report to/Rapport au :

 

Planning and Environment Committee

Comité de l'urbanisme et de l'environnement

 

and Council / et au Conseil

 

19 August 2008 / le 19 août 2008

 

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

Directrice municipale adjointe,

Planning, Transit and the Environment

Urbanisme, Transport en commun et Environnement 

 

Contact Person/Personne ressource : Sandra Garnett, Manager/Gestionnaire, Business Integration Services/Services d'integration des activities

Building Code Services Branch/Direction des services du code du bâtiment

(613) 580-2424 x 41544, Sandra.Garnett@ottawa.ca

 

Knoxdale-Merivale (9)

Ref N°: ACS2008-PTE-BLD-0030

 

 

SUBJECT:

SIGN BY-LAW MINOR VARIANCE - 10 CHESTERTON DRIVE

 

 

OBJET :

DÉROGATION MINEURE AU RÈGLEMENT SUR LES ENSEIGNES - 10, promenade chesterton

 

REPORT RECOMMENDATION

 

That Planning and Environment Committee recommend Council approve a variance to Sign By-law 2005-439, to permit on the subject property an internally illuminated identification ground sign, that features a changeable message centre display with an area of 1.9 square metres instead of 1.75 square metres.

 

RECOMMANDATION DU RAPPORT

 

Que le Comité de l’urbanisme et de l’environnement recommande au Conseil d’approuver une dérogation mineure au Règlement sur les enseignes 2005-439 afin de permettre sur la propriété en question un panneau d’identification au sol, éclairé de l’intérieur et avec affichage de messages modifiables, d’une surface de 1,9 mètres carrés au lieu de 1,75 mètres carrés. 

 

BACKGROUND

 

The applicant originally applied for a minor variance to Sign By law 2005-439 to permit an internally illuminated ground sign, with a changeable message centre, that exceeds the height, area and illumination provisions for an institutional use.  A ground sign in this District 3 use zone must not exceed a height of three metres and have a non-illuminated message centre no greater than 25 per cent of the permitted identification sign area, in this case, an area of 1.75 square metres.  The place of worship requests an illuminated ground sign with a height of 3.5 metres, a total area of 4.75 square metres with the message centre area having a display area of 1.9 square metres.

 

DISCUSSION

 

The property is located at the southeast corner of Meadowlands Drive and Chesterton Drive with commercial uses west of the site and residential uses located adjacent to this location to the south and east of the site (see Document 1).  The proposed ground sign will comply with the maximum identification area provisions of the by-law with 2.5 square metres of area.  The applicant has agreed to reduce the height of the sign to three metres based on expressed concerns thus the height variance is no longer required.  However, relief from the by-law to allow a changeable illuminated message centre with a display area of 1.9 square metres is required.

 

This modified sign is intended to replace the existing ground sign and be located near the north corner of the property (see Documents 2 and 3).  Furthermore, the applicant intends to locate the sign a few metres west of the current ground sign location, which will reduce possible distractions to drivers at the adjacent intersection.  The portion of the lot that abuts Meadowlands Drive, where the sign is to be located, has a higher elevation than the street level.  As a result, signage located near this intersection will be highly visible and an increase to the height of the sign is not warranted.  The municipal address will be added to be in compliance with the by-law.

 

Displaying messages related to activities of the church is the intended purpose of the illuminated message centre.  The proposed location of the sign would be near a busy major collector roadway and also setback a substantial distance from adjacent residential uses.  It would face north towards commercial and vacant areas.  Potential impact of the message centre portion of the sign would be lessened by the fact that the display area used for the message centre would not take up the entire sign box dimensions and would have a black background with red images/letters.  The resulting effect of the increase to the by-law area maximum is minimal for this message centre.

 

The modified sign would fulfill the needs of the church while limiting the impact to the adjacent community.  As such, the Department is satisfied the scale of the proposed sign is in keeping with the intent of the Sign By-law provided it does not exceed a height of three metres. 

 

CONSULTATION

 

In response to the standard circulation to property owners, business and community groups and the Ward Councillor, 75 per cent were in favour and 25 per cent were opposed to the original application.  An internal circulation to the Roads and Traffic division of the Department of Public Works and Services did not generate any comments or opposition to this variance application.

 

Comments included concerns with the requested scale of the sign, how it should blend into the community and possible distractions that the sign may impose on local traffic adjacent to the nearby roadways.  Further details are as follows:

 

 

Response to Comments

 

Following receipt of the concerns raised from adjacent property owners, the applicant withdrew their original request to vary the height restriction.  With the orientation of the sign facing north and not directly facing residential uses, adjacent residential units will not be significantly affected.  The overall scale of this sign is moderate given the sign area permitted in this district.  Regarding the safety issues, the City's Roads and Traffic division did not have any concerns with the proposed signage.

 

Finally, the size of the message centre represents an increase to 1.9 square metres whereas the by-law limit is 1.75 square metres.  The Department is satisfied that this increase is not excessive.

 

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

 

N/A

 

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION

 

Document 1 - Location Plan

Document 2 - Site Plan

Document 3 - Elevation Drawing of Originally Requested Sign

 

DISPOSITION

 

City Clerk's Branch to notify the applicant, Parkwood Presbyterian Church, Attention: Tim Visser, 19 Grenfell Crescent, Suite 201, Nepean, ON , K2G 0G3 and the local Ward Councillor of Council's decision. 

 

Building Code Services will process the sign permit resulting from the Council direction in accordance with Sign By-law 2005-439.

 

 


LOCATION PLAN                                                                                                         Document 1

 


SITE PLAN                                                                                                                     Document 2

 


ELEVATION DRAWING OF ORIGINALLY REQUESTED SIGN                     Document 3