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6. sIGN BY-LAW MINOR VARIANCE - 1480 Heron road |
Committee recommendation
That Council approve a Minor Variance to
the Sign By-law to allow an illuminated ground sign on the Heron Road frontage
of the development that exceeds the maximum allowable area and height of a
ground sign in a District 2 zone as further detailed in this submission.
Recommandation du Comité
Que le Conseil approuve une dérogation mineure au Règlement municipal sur
les enseignes, de manière à permettre sur la façade de l'aménagement donnant
sur le chemin Heron une enseigne lumineuse au sol dont la surface et la hauteur
excèdent celles autorisées pour une enseigne au sol dans une zone du District
2, tel qu'exposé en détail dans la présente demande.
Documentation
1. Deputy City Manager's report (Planning
and Growth Management) dated
3 February 2006 (ACS2006-PGM-BLD-0004).
Report
to/Rapport au :
Planning and Environment Committee
Comité de l'urbanisme et de l'aménagement
and Council / et au Conseil
February 3, 2006 / le 03 février 2006
Submitted by/Soumis par : Ned Lathrop, Deputy City Manager/
Directeur municipal adjoint,
Planning and Growth Management/Urbanism et
Gestion de la croissance
Contact Person/Personne
ressource : Sandra Garnett, Manager / Gestionnaire
Legal and
Service Integration / Insertion juridique et des services
Building Services/Direction des services du
bâtiment
(613) 580-2424 x41544, sandra.garnett@ottawa.ca
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SUBJECT: |
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OBJET : |
DÉROGATION
MINEURE AU RÈGLEMENT SUR LES ENSEIGNES – 1480, chemin heron |
REPORT RECOMMENDATION
That the Planning and Environment Committee recommend Council approve a Minor Variance to the Sign By-law to allow an illuminated ground sign on the Heron Road frontage of the development that exceeds the maximum allowable area and height of a ground sign in a District 2 zone as further detailed in this submission.
RECOMMANDATION DU RAPPORT
Que le Comité de l'urbanisme et de l'environnement
recommande au Conseil d'approuver une dérogation mineure au Règlement municipal
sur les enseignes, de manière à permettre sur la façade de l'aménagement
donnant sur le chemin Heron une enseigne lumineuse au sol dont la surface et la
hauteur excèdent celles autorisées pour une enseigne au sol dans une zone du
District 2, tel qu'exposé en détail dans la présente demande.
BACKGROUND
This variance application is being pursued for a Community Centre with the City of Ottawa. The property is located near the corner of Heron Road and Baycrest Drive in Alta Vista (see Document 1). Adjacent uses are institutional across the roadway with residential uses adjacent to the west with a condominium apartment and various residential uses located to the east of the property. This subject parcel is the Heron Road Community Centre site and is zoned institutional in the zoning by-law and listed as a District 2 use in the Sign By-law.
It is intended that the proposed sign replace an existing approved sign (see Document 2). The current ground sign has an identification area of four square metres, with an additional message centre area of 1.14 square metres with a total height of 5.69 metres. The message centre was to use only a flip disk system for changes to the messages.
VARIANCE
DETAILS
The proposed sign would identify the existing City of Ottawa Heron Road Community Centre. Approval of this application would replace the existing community centre sign with a sign having a reduced height and similar area to the existing sign. The new ground sign on the Heron frontage of the property would exceed the height, the permitted sign face area and the maximum allowable area for a message centre portion of the ground sign found in the Permanent Signs on Private Property By-law. This illuminated sign would have a height of 4.1 metres, an identification area of 4.5 square metres, an additional message centre area of 3.0 square metres and would be located within 16.0 metres of an adjacent residential use.
The By-law allows a ground sign for this site with a maximum height of 2.0 metres, a maximum sign face area of 3.0 square metres, with an additional permitted message centre area of .75 square metres, provided the sign has external illumination and is located at least 30.0 metres away from an adjacent residential use in a residential zone.
DISCUSSION
The Department has reviewed the request and is of the opinion that, in this specific case, the variance to allow a new ground sign for this Community Centre, as detailed in the Background section of this submission, is appropriate for this site. The new sign will be similar to the existing sign in area and be smaller in height. In addition, there is a need to provide identification and information to the public via the message centre. This area of mixed uses combined with institutional and residential on a busy major collector is an appropriate location to have such identification for a Community Centre.
Finally, the impact to adjacent uses will be minimal given the type of sign proposed by the Community Centre. The upper portion would have reversed illumination with the lighting only projecting through the graphics of on opaque background. The lighting of the message centre will be reduced as the applicant has agreed, with staff's suggestion, to restrict the lighting for this portion of the sign to having only two florescent bulbs to lessen the impact upon adjacent uses.
In the application, the applicant stated that the rationale for the sign was to replace the existing sign that has outdated graphics with a new sign with current logo colours and standard graphics and to also eliminate the ineffective electronic message board. Furthermore, the applicant feels that the proposed new sign's message board will reduce glare as it will consist of a manual four line "Read-o-Graph" type with minimal back lighting.
Responses generated from the circulation did not demonstrate any significant opposition to this application. The Ward Councillor is aware of this application and has provided no comment to date.
The Department recommends approval of the requested minor variance as, in this case, the proposed sign would maintain the general purpose and intent of the By-law.
CONSULTATION
Standard early notification was provided to community and business groups. There were two respondents who were in opposition and eight respondents who supported the application. The Ward Councillor is aware of the application. The concerns mentioned in the circulation were that there was no valid reason to allow a sign so much larger than that allowed by the relevant regulation and the concern of the potential infringement on residential areas. Based on the review, the Department recommends approval of the application as the new sign is very similar to the existing approved sign. As a result of recent feedback from the community, the applicant has agreed to install the proposed sign 20 metres east of the existing sign which will, in the opinion of the Department, lessen the impact of the proposed sign upon adjacent residential units.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION
Document 2 Elevation of the Exiting Sign
Document 3 Elevation of the Proposed Sign
Document 4 Location of Sign
DISPOSITION
Corporate Services Department, Secretariat Services Branch to notify the applicant, City of Ottawa; Attention: Terry Hopkins, 100 Constellation Crescent, RPAM Branch, 9th floor, Nepean, On,, K2G 6J8, and the Ward Councillor Peter Hume of City Council's decision.
