4. SIGN BY-LAW VARIANCES - BILLBOARD RENEWALS FOR 3050/3055 CONROY ROAD AND 1470 HUNT CLUB ROAD

DÉROGATIONS AU RÈGLEMENT SUR LES ENSEIGNES – RENOUVELLEMENT DES PANNEAUX D'AFFICHAGE QUI SE TROUVENT AUX 3050 ET 3055, CHEMIN CONROY ET AU 1470, CHEMIN HUNT CLUB

Committee recommendationS

That Council:

1. Approve minor variances from Sign By-law 2005-439, to allow only the southeast billboard sign in a District 2 zone within 150 metres of another billboard sign, as shown on Document 2, for renewal of a billboard sign at 3055 Conroy Road and that the applicant's sign located at 3050 Conroy Road be removed within 60 days of Council approval of this report.

2. Refuse a minor variance to allow a billboard sign within 45 metres and visible from a residential use instead of the minimum setback of 300 metres, as shown on Document 4, for renewal of a billboard sign at 1470 Hunt Club Road and that the sign be removed within 60 days of Council approval of this report.

RecommandationS DU Comité

Que le Conseil :

1. Approuve des dérogations mineures au Règlement n^o2005-439 sur les enseignes, en vue de permettre un panneau d’affichage au sud-est seulement, dans une zone de district 2, situé à moins de 150 mètres d’un autre panneau d’affichage, comme le montre le document 2, pour le renouvellement d’un panneau d’affichage au 3055, chemin Conroy et que le panneau du demandeur situé au 3050, chemin Conroy, soit retiré dans les 60 jours suivant l’approbation du présent rapport par le Conseil.

2. Refuse une dérogation mineure visant à permettre l’installation d’un panneau d’affichage à moins de 45 mètres et visible d’une propriété résidentielle, au lieu de la marge de recul minimale de 300 mètres habituellement requise, comme le montre le document 4, pour le renouvellement d’un panneau d’affichage au 1470, chemin Hunt Club et que ce panneau soit retiré dans les 60 jours suivant l’approbation du présent rapport par le Conseil.

Documentation

1. Deputy City Manager's report, Infrastructure Services and Community Sustainability,dated 23 September 2009 (ACS2008-ICS-PGM-0158).

Report to/Rapport au :

Planning and Environment Committee

Comité de l'urbanisme et de l'environnement

and Council / et au Conseil

23 September 2009 / le 23 septembre 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 41421, sandra.garnett@ottawa.ca

Gloucester-Southgate (10)

Ref N°: ACS2009-ICS-PGM-0158

SUBJECT:	SIGN BY-LAW VARIANCES - Billboard renewals for 3050/3055 CONROY ROAD AND 1470 HUNT CLUB ROAD

OBJET :	Dérogations au Règlement sur les enseignes – Renouvellement des panneaux d'affichage qui se trouvent aux 3050 et 3055, chemin CONROY et au 1470, chemin HUNT CLUB

REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS

That the Planning and Environment Committee recommend Council:

RECOMMANDATIONS DU RAPPORT

Que le Comité de l’urbanisme et de l’environnement recommande au Conseil :

1. D’approuver des dérogations mineures au Règlement n^o2005-439 sur les enseignes, en vue de permettre un panneau d’affichage au sud-est seulement, dans une zone de district 2, situé à moins de 150 mètres d’un autre panneau d’affichage, comme le montre le document 2, pour le renouvellement d’un panneau d’affichage au 3055, chemin Conroy et que le panneau du demandeur situé au 3050, chemin Conroy, soit retiré dans les 60 jours suivant l’approbation du présent rapport par le Conseil.

2. De refuser une dérogation mineure visant à permettre l’installation d’un panneau d’affichage à moins de 45 mètres et visible d’une propriété résidentielle, au lieu de la marge de recul minimale de 300 mètres habituellement requise, comme le montre le document 4, pour le renouvellement d’un panneau d’affichage au 1470, chemin Hunt Club et que ce panneau soit retiré dans les 60 jours suivant l’approbation du présent rapport par le Conseil.

BACKGROUND

By-law provisions for billboard signs include a permit expiry date. All of the sign permits for the subject billboards have expired. This provision is exclusive to billboard signs due to their scale, and their impact on the surrounding neighbourhood. 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. Photos of existing signs are shown on Documents 1 and 3.

DISCUSSION

Recommendation 1

The existing billboards on Conroy Road 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 continues to meet the requirements of the By‑law (see photos in Document 1).

Pattison Outdoor Advertising maintains two billboard signs on these lands. One is located at the northwest side of Conroy Road and the other sign is located at the southeast side of the roadway near industrial business park lands (see Document 2). Along with these signs, two more are located on this right of way, which are operated by another billboard company that will soon be subject to the same review as this application. Although the signs once complied with the By‑law, having multiple signs in this corridor creates visual clutter in a district which is the gateway to the Greenboro residential area.

As such, the Department recommends approval of only the southeast billboard sign. It is more appropriate than the northwest sign as it is near industrial lands and not surrounded by an open spaced area consisting of natural landscaping.

Recommendation 2

The existing sign at 1470 Hunt Club Road is located in a light industrial zone in front of a used car dealership (see photos in Document 3). When built, the billboard complied with the Sign By-law and there were no adjacent residential uses near the lot. However, recent residential developments to the east and north have now made the sign visible to residential uses. Homes built on the nearby roadway have the illumination from the sign directly facing bedroom windows. The By-law states that a billboard must maintain a minimum 300-metre separation distance from a residential use in a residential zone, if visible to a residential use in a residential zone.

In this case, the new homes to the east are only 45 metres from the existing billboard at 1470 Hunt Club Road (see Document 4). This separation distance does not meet the general intent of the Sign By-law. As such, the Department is recommending refusal of this application.

CONSULTATION

The standard notification for minor variances applications was distributed to the adjacent owners, Ward Councillor, Planning staff and community contacts. For Recommendation 1, two respondents were opposed and one was in favour of the application. Ward Councillor Deans does not support the approval of the northwest sign and is aware of the variance request for the southeast sign. Regarding Recommendation 2, one respondent was opposed to the application. Ward Councillor Deans stated that she supports the spirit of the By-law and asks that it be followed.

LEGAL/RISK MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS

There are no legal/risk management issues associated with this report.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

N/A

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION

Document 1 - Photos of the existing signs-Recommendation 1

Document 2 - Location Plan for 3050/3055 Conroy Road

Document 3 - Photos of the existing sign-Recommendation 2

Document 4 - Site plan for 1470 Hunt Club Road

DISPOSITION

City Clerk and Solicitor Department, Legislative Services, to notify the agent and the local Ward Councillor of Council's decision. Building Code Services will process the sign permits resulting from the Committee direction in accordance with Sign By-law 2005-439.

PHOTOS OF THE EXISTING SIGNS-RECOMMENDATION 1 DOCUMENT 1

Billboard Sign at 3050 Conroy Road