Report to/Rapport au :
Planning
and Environment Committee
Comité de l'urbanisme et de l'environnement
and Council / et au Conseil
09 November 2008 / le 09 novembre
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
SUBJECT:
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OBJET :
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DÉROGATION
MINEURE AU RÈGLEMENT SUR LES ENSEIGNES - 713, chemin montréal |
REPORT
RECOMMENDATION
That Planning and Environment Committee recommend Council approve a variance to Sign By-law 2005-439, to permit an increase to the height of the main entrance pylon ground sign and to allow an increase in the size of the information signs, for the Montfort Hospital, as detailed in the background section of this submission.
RECOMMANDATION DU
RAPPORT
Que le Comité de l’urbanisme et de
l’environnement recommande au Conseil d’approuve une dérogation au Règlement
sur les enseignes 2005-439 afin de permettre une augmentation de la hauteur de
l’enseigne au sol sur poteau de l’entrée principale et une augmentation de la
taille des panneaux d’information pour l’Hôpital Montfort, comme il est expliqué
en détail dans le sommaire du présent rapport.
BACKGROUND
The property is the site of the Montfort Hospital and is located on the north side of Montréal Road just east of the Aviation Parkway (see Document 1). Nearby adjacent uses are commercial offices located to the south, institutional to the west and commercial and residential located to the east. If approved, the proposed main pylon ground sign near Montréal Road would have a height of 4.5 metres instead of the three metres permitted for an institutional use in this district. Requested information signs would have an area of 1.6 and 1.1 square metres instead of 0.5 square metres and have a height of 2.4 and 1.8 metres rather than 1.5 metres. Four information signs are requested to be within one metre of the east property line (see Document 2).
DISCUSSION
The proposed signage program is part of the extensive development and hospital expansion now under construction at the Montfort. Given the importance of providing information during emergencies, it is essential that appropriate signage be available to assist with way finding to the numerous facilities located at the Montfort Hospital campus. This site has a limited frontage on Montréal Road with many of the uses well setback from the frontage. Featured on the large entrance pylon sign is the universal symbol for a hospital, which will assist in way finding (see Document 3). The scale of the proposed sign is consistent with other approved commercial signs nearby and the location would be setback a significant distance away from residential uses.
Larger information signage is requested by the applicant to assist clients with directions to facilities and to ensure public safety (see Document 4). There are a number of areas on site where drivers need to be clearly directed. It is also essential that the signs be in French and English. Size area limitations within the by-law would make the size of the proposed text so small that it will only be visible to pedestrians and not motorists. Staff have informed the applicant that the existing temporary signs on site, not shown on the site plan, must be removed immediately after construction is completed. Additional approvals would be required should the hospital decide to have these signs maintained on a permanent basis.
Signs located near property lines would be buffered by mature landscaping along the west and east property lines. There are only two information signs proposed near the northeast property line, adjacent to an apartment building, that would have limited visibility to the residential use due to the setback distance to the building and the landscaping on the property line that would buffer the signs from the apartment building.
The Department is satisfied that in this case, the scale of the proposed signage is in keeping with the intent and design regulations of the Sign By-law and recommends approval of the requested variances for the hospital to provide appropriate identification to the various uses.
CONSULTATION
In response to the standard circulation to property owners, business/community groups and the Ward Councillor, there was no opposition to the requested minor variance application. The National Capital Commission comments were as follows:
"The location of these requests has capital interests as the hospital site abuts federally owned land at the Aviation Parkway and is considered as a “scenic entry” route. The policies for capital arrivals and scenic entries support the option for a review of design considerations for signage along the parkway. We also note that the applicant pre-consulted with the NCC in May 2008 and has taken into consideration our concerns with respect to not imposing any ground signage at the secondary access from the Aviation Parkway.
After reviewing the details of this application, our comments are restricted to proposed signs 300B and 400D, as shown on the Site Plan. We note that the 300 series signs are 8 ft. high and the 400 series signs are 6 ft. high. Ideally, the NCC would prefer that the signage proposed for the secondary entrance off the Parkway be the smaller scale version at 6 ft, however, we can appreciate the amount of information to be located on this sign and the bi-lingual character may not be possible on the sign face area. Should any modifications to this information sign (300B) be proposed by the City, we would ask that this sign height be re-examined.
The NCC has no objections to the application for variances as shown on the plan".
Response to Comments
Given the proposed location of the information sign near the Parkway
entrance, the Department supports the height variance requested as the existing
landscaping on this portion of the site will buffer the visibility of the sign
from the parkway entrance. The sign in
question would not be visible to a patron of the hospital until after
proceeding beyond the first stop sign of the roadway. Staff have advised the applicant that existing temporary signs
near this location must be removed upon completion of construction.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION
Document 2 - Site Plan
Document 3 - Elevation of Main Ground Sign
Document 4 - Examples of Elevations of Information Signs
DISPOSITION
City Clerk's Branch to notify the applicant, Pattison Sign Group, on behalf of Hopital Montfort, 2421 Holly Lane, Ottawa, ON, K1V 7P2 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 OF MAIN GROUND SIGN DOCUMENT
3
EXAMPLES OF ELEVATIONS OF INFORMATION
SIGNS DOCUMENT
4
