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4. SIGN
VARIANCES FOR BILLBOARD RENEWALS - 1724 WOODWARD DRIVE, 3040/3041 HAWTHORNE
ROAD AND 419 COVENTRY ROAD DÉROGATIONS
MINEURES POUR LE RENOUVELLEMENT DE PANNEAUX D’AFFICHAGE – 1724, PROMENADE
WOODWARD, 3040/3041, CHEMIN HAWTHORNE ET 419, CHEMIN COVENTRY |
Committee recommendationS
1. That
Council approve the applications for minor variances from Sign By-law 2005-439,
to allow billboard signs in a District 2 zone to permit renewals for billboard
signs at the following locations, as shown on Document 3 and 4, respectively:
o 1724
Woodward Drive
o 419
Coventry Road.
2.
That Council approve minor
variances to allow billboard signs in a District 2 zone, to reduce the required
setbacks between billboard signs and to permit renewals for billboard signs at
the following location, as shown on Document 5:
o 3040/3041
Hawthorne Road.
RecommandationS DU Comité
1. Que le Conseil approuve les demandes de
dérogation mineure au Règlement sur les enseignes 2005-439 afin de permettre
des panneaux d’affichage dans une zone de district 2 et de permettre le
renouvellement de panneaux d’affichage aux adresses suivantes, comme il est
indiqué dans les Documents 3 et 4 respectivement :
o 1724, promenade Woodward;
o 419, chemin Coventry.
2. Que le Conseil approuve des dérogations
mineures afin de permettre des panneaux d’affichage dans une zone de district
2, de réduire les marges de recul entre les panneaux d’affichage et de
permettre le renouvellement de panneaux d’affichage à l’adresse suivante, comme
il est indiqué dans le Document 5 :
o 3040/3041, chemin Hawthorne.
Documentation
1. Deputy City Manager’s report,
Infrastructure Services and Community Sustainability dated 20 August 2009
(ACS2009-ICS-PGM-0128).
Report to/Rapport au :
Planning and Environment Committee
Comité de l'urbanisme et de l'environnement
and Council / et au Conseil
20 August 2009 / le 20 août 2009
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 : Sandra Garnett, Manager/Gestionnaire,
Business Integration Services/Services d'intégration des activités
Building
Code Services Branch/Direction des services du code du bâtiment
(613)
580-2424 x 41544, Sandra.Garnett@ottawa.ca
REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS
1. That the Planning and Environment Committee recommend
Council approve the applications for minor variances from Sign By-law 2005-439,
to allow billboard signs in a District 2 zone to permit renewals for billboard
signs at the following locations, as shown on Document 3 and 4, respectively:
o 1724 Woodward Drive
o 419 Coventry Road.
2. That the Planning and Environment Committee recommend
Council approve minor variances to allow billboard signs in a District 2 zone,
to reduce the required setbacks between billboard signs and to permit renewals
for billboard signs at the following location, as shown on Document 5:
o 3040/3041 Hawthorne Road.
RECOMMANDATIONS DU
RAPPORT
1.
Que
le Comité de l’urbanisme et de l’environnement au Conseil d’approuver les
demandes de dérogation mineure au Règlement sur les enseignes 2005-439 afin de
permettre des panneaux d’affichage dans une zone de district 2 et de permettre
le renouvellement de panneaux d’affichage aux adresses suivantes, comme il est
indiqué dans les Documents 3 et 4 respectivement :
- 1724, promenade Woodward;
- 419, chemin Coventry.
2.
Que
le Comité de l’urbanisme et de l’environnement au Conseil d’approuver des
dérogations mineures afin de permettre des panneaux d’affichage dans une zone
de district 2, de réduire les marges de recul entre les panneaux d’affichage et
de permettre le renouvellement de panneaux d’affichage à l’adresse suivante,
comme il est indiqué dans le Document 5 :
o
3040/3041,
chemin Hawthorne.
BACKGROUND
By-law provisions for billboard signs include a permit expiry date. This provision is exclusive to billboard signs due to their scale, and their impact on the surrounding neighbourhood. These “third party” signs are typically larger than other ground signs and therefore their placement is limited to lands zoned for commercial or industrial use. The time limitation provides the municipality the opportunity to revisit the approval to confirm whether the sign is still compatible with the objectives of the Official Plan, the zoning designation for the property and changes in adjacent land uses.
All of the sign permits for the subject billboards have expired. The billboards are located on Hydro lands, which were formerly zoned industrial at the time of the original permit approval. Zoning for these sites is now O1P, or open space, and the lands are designated as District 2 in the Sign By-law, which does not allow billboard signage. The scale of the existing signs continue to meet the requirements of the By-law. Photos of existing signs are shown on Documents 1 and 2.
DISCUSSION
(a) 1724 Woodward Drive
The existing billboard sign is located nearby industrial/commercial properties on the south side of Woodward Drive (see Document 3). At installation, the sign complied with the provisions of the former City of Ottawa Sign By-law 311-90, which allowed the sign in an industrial area. The zoning is now OP as right of way lands are now deemed to be an open space area under the Zoning By-law.
The Department recommends approval of this variance application, given that there have not been any significant changes to either the built environment or adjacent uses in this area since the original approval of the billboard sign.
(b) 419 Coventry Road
At permit issuance, the land was zoned industrial and is currently zoned open space. The sign is located just north of the intersection of Coventry Road and Belfast Road (see Document 4). There have been no significant changes in development or related planning objectives to properties adjacent to the sign. Lands further west on Coventry near the old Lynx Stadium have been converted to commercial uses. The subject property, however, continues to have industrial type uses nearby and the residential uses to the north, buffered by an urban forest.
The Department recommends approval of the variance.
Recommendation 2
Location: 3040/3041 Hawthorne Road
There are four existing billboard signs adjacent to Hawthorne Road located south of Russell Road and north of Ages Drive (see Document 5). Two of the signs are located on the west Hydro corridor and two on the east side of Hawthorne Road. The subject signs are the two southern signs on the plan. The current renewal permits are now subject to Section 173 of the Sign By-law, which stipulates a minimum spatial separation between signs of 150 metres. To permit the continuation of the signs, approval is requested to reduce the setback between existing billboard signs to a minimum of 50 metres.
At permit issuance, the property was zoned industrial (M1) and is currently zoned open space. The signs are located just to the north of a business park and over 600 metres from any residential uses. Further buffering to the Walkley area is created by a large overpass near this location. There have been no significant changes to this area since the original sign approvals.
The existing billboard signage is compatible with the industrial surroundings. The Department recommends approval of the variance.
CONSULTATION
The standard notification for minor variances applications was distributed to the adjacent owners, Ward Councillors, Planning staff and community contacts. Of those circulated, only two respondents were opposed. The three associated Ward Councillors were aware of these applications.
Comments from the 1724 Woodward Drive circulation
"The sign in question should be removed and should not be allowed in the location. It downgrades the area and is inappropriate at this time. Please reject the proposal for signage and have the existing sign removed."
Comments from the 419 Coventry Road circulation
"This sign greatly takes away from the attractiveness of Coventry Road (this is not an industrial area anymore)."
Departmental Comments
The existing billboard signs have been in place for many years and were installed in compliance with the former By-law, as mentioned above in the discussion section of this submission. In these cases, the minor variance applications can be supported under the circumstances. There has been little or no change to the immediate areas where the signs were installed, the adjacent land uses or applicable zoning provisions of the nearby lands. Official Plan designation for all of the affected sites has remained as an Employment Area.
LEGAL/RISK MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS
There are no legal/risk management impediments to implementing the recommendations of this report.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION
Document 1 Photos of the existing signs-Recommendation 1
Document 2 Photo of the existing signs-Recommendation 2
Document 3 Site plan for 1724 Woodward Drive
Document 4 Site plan for 419 Coventry Road
Document 5 Site plan for 3040/3041 Hawthorne Road
DISPOSITION
City Clerk and Solicitor, Legislative
Services, to notify the owner/agent/applicant.
