Wednesday, April 22nd, 2009 ::: City Hall: Variances

Astral Media is planning to build 10 LED Video screens across the City of Toronto, and we’re out to stop it. The Globe and Mail’s John Barber wrote this article about the issue yesterday, and today we appeared on CBC Radio’s Metro Morning [Windows Media File]:

The City of Toronto Buildings Department has quickly backtracked on an erroneous interpretation of the North York Signs By-law that allowed Astral Media to obtain a permit to erect an LED billboard at Victoria Park and O’Connor; if it stood, the interpretation would have allowed Astral Media to obtain permits, without variances, to convert all of their conforming billboards in North York into LED screens.

The one permit that was issued in error concerns this sign at 1492 Victoria Park:

This permit has now been revoked, and Astral has been instructed by the Buildings Department not to construct an LED sign at this location without first obtaining City Council approvals.

Astral Media’s proposal involved converting 10 billboards into LED video screens. Astral’s proposed LED screens are larger than any video screens in Dundas Square — and they would be in your neighbourhoods: At Yonge and St. Clair; Spadina and Richmond; Adelaide and Eastern Ave; Finch and Weston Road; Eglinton East and Laird; and Yonge and Sheppard. In addition, Astral seeks a number of LED approvals along the Expressway. Astral Media calls its plan “Show Your Colours.” This is the handout [PDF] that Astral has been giving to City Councillors:

Fortunately, we were able to catch the Buildings Department’s error in time, and we have been able to get that Department to adjudicate Astral Media’s proposals against our by-laws. It was only earlier this month that the Buildings Department informed Astral Media that they would grant permits to build LED screens as-of-right.

This issue was brought to our attention only due to a downright idiotic comment made by Astral Media’s new leasing manager, Steve Wolowich, in this written deputation that he filed in connection with a variance application [PDF] to convert a non-conforming billboard into an LED screen at 1552 Avenue Road:

Note that in Wolowich’s deputation he states that the proposed LED screen would “be permitted and approved as of right” if it was not for a nearby Pizza Hut roof sign.  He even helpfully underlines that phrase.

After reading the staff report associated with Wolowich’s application, we noticed that the Buildings Department was indeed not enforcing the required variance for LED screens. We then came to the unavoidable conclusion that Wolowich was in fact told by Buildings that LED screens would be permitted as-of-right in North York.

We then cross-referenced recent building permit applications with the map of proposed LED locations that Astral included in their presentation. This allowed us to find the improperly issued permit for an LED screen at 1492 Victoria Park, and resulted in the revocation of that permit. We also obtained a deferral of the variance application at 1552 Avenue Road so the LED variance can be adjudicated.

Steve Wolowich, you’re too clever for your own good.