Wednesday, May 13th, 2009 ::: City Hall: Variances

“There’s no question who’s calling the shots in the civic sign wars.”

-“The city’s top de-signer,” John Barber, The Globe and Mail, February 18, 2009

Astral Media officials Steve Wolowich and Ron Hutchinson have abandoned their plan to build video screens across the City after IllegalSigns.ca succeeded in getting the Buildings Department to recommend against approval of Astral’s LED video screen at 1552 Avenue Road, one month after Buildings recommended approval of the very same sign.

Buildings has also firmly backtracked on permits granted for Astral’s LED screens in North York, and Astral is now abandoning the entire digital scheme in the 416 — Astral is in fact now applying for conforming tri-vision displays on the sites where Astral was previously promised LED screen permits by Buildings. Wolowich and Hutchinson had been encountering serious opposition from city councillors regarding the LED upgrade scheme, with several high-profile councillors refusing to meet the embattled executives.

We previously covered the issue in Buildings Department Quickly Backtracks on LED Permits Granted to Astral Media. The issue was covered by John Barber in the Globe, Paul Moloney in the Star, and on DailyDOOH. We also appeared on CBC Radio’s Metro Morning [MP3 File]

First, the 1552 Avenue Road issue. Astral Media was applying to convert their standard 16′x12′ sign on the roof of this building to a Jerry Kramer-designed 350-square-foot LED video screen. The original staff report [PDF] for the 1552 conversion recommended approval of the LED sign.

Then IllegalSigns.ca intervened. We were able to convince staff to change their recommendation to a rejection. Here is the amended Staff Report [PDF].

Let’s take a look at what the report now says:

Having observed a roof sign using similar illumination technology, erected in the former City of Scarborough without the benefit of a sign permit; we are reporting that contrary to the statement of Steve Wolowich, Director of Leasing for Astral Media Outdoor, the sign illumination varies with each copy both in colour and intensity at periodic intervals and is a “flashing sign” which is a sign type included in the definition of “Animated Signs” which are prohibited under the former City of North York Sign By-law No. 30788, as amended. Based on the foregoing, that animated signs are prohibited in the Sign by-law we are recommending the refusal of this variance.

That paragraph in the Staff Report cause Stevie Wolowich to LOSE HIS COOL:

While Wolowich’s use of the Caps Lock key is perhaps an unprofessional sign of his frustration, at least Steve Wolowich has a computer, unlike his former colleague at CBS Outdoor who writes written deputations on horseback.

We previously looked at Wally’s penchant for making impetuous written deputations when we noted that it was his original written deputation for the 1552 Avenue Road variance that tipped us off that City Staff were erroneously granting permits to Astral Media to upgrade their standard billboards to video screens in North York as-of-right. [Digression: As for Wally's oral deputations, they have been strategically idiotic to say the least. For example, Wally's statements in this variance hearing have gone quite far in convincing City Hall that we need a new variance process for billboards.]

Beyond 1552 Avenue Road, and with regards to Astral Media’s other LED locations, the drama was mainly over this site at 1492 Victoria Park:

We noted that this permit [09-120679] for a video screen was issued on April 6 to change the sign face to digital:

But Wally and Co. have now amended that application [09-120679-01] to a tri-vision panel after Buildings realized their error would have resulted in allowing Astral to upgrade every single one of their conforming billboards in North York to LED:

Meanwhile, at 4907 Yonge, north of Sheppard, Astral has reduced the application to a tri-vision panel, whereas they were originally set to get a permit for LED:

Getting back to Victoria Park. Interesting story at 1492 Victoria Park, in fact. Turns out Astral’s sign at 1492 Victoria Park was operating under a permit that was improperly issued for reasons of spatial-separation non-compliance with another Astral Media billboard at 1468 Victoria Park. You can see both signs here:

Because the sign at 1492 Victoria Park was not legal on account of separation requirements, in order to get that improperly issued and later revoked permit to upgrade the sign face at #1492 to digital, Astral Media had to remove their legal sign at #1468. Check out the removal:

Astral Media now regrets this removal, as it was unable to keep the LED permit. As a result, it will be unable to re-erect this sign at #1468 without a variance for separation requirements, as the separation rights have now flowed to #1492.