Variance Chaos as Etobicoke York Community Council Approves Billboard in Front of House
The variance process for third-party signs is out of control. Signs that have no relation whatsoever to the intent of the signs by-laws are routinely granted approvals.
This is what 2382 Keele Street looks like today:
Pattison Outdoor will be building a 12′x16′ billboard on the front lawn of this house thanks to Councillor Frank Di Giorgio and his colleagues: Grimes, Saundercook, Palacio, Nunziata, and Mammoliti.
Voting against the sign were Councillors Lindsay Luby, Hall, Holyday, and Milczyn. Councillor Ford was absent.
The variance application was made by Sid Catalano, Pattison’s Director of Legislation. Sid is a professional planner by trade.
The Staff Report recommending against approval for the sign [PDF] states:
The proposed sign face will cantilever over the existing front portion of the roof of the house located on the same property. Due to the location of the sign there is the probability that the existing chimney will experience back drafts and that there may be increases in snow accumulation on the roof that the roof was never designed to carry.
Even though the sign will not be directly in front of the windows of the house the sign will reduce the natural light by casting a shadow over the front portion of the house, obstructing the view in front of the house and in the evenings the illumination from the sign will impact the residents in the house.
The staff report neglected to mention that the tri-vision panels that were approved are noisy enough to cause a distraction to the residents of the house; but, hey, you can’t mention every little thing. The Toronto Star wrote this article about the variance.
Billboard companies are hijacking the variance process due to lax guidelines for what application justifies a variance and what application justifies a site-specific amendment to the by-law. City Staff need to ensure that the harmonized signs by-law comes with a variance process that recognizes that a more rigourous process should apply to applications that require an amendment to the by-law.
