Context

The provisions regarding antennas, mechanical equipment and advertising signs are drawn from the statements presented in Part I of the Master Plan :

• Action 12.1: Promote quality architecture that is ecologically sound and respectful of Montréal’s character.
• Action 13.1: Enhance the quality of the public realm.
• Action 14.1: Improve the image of Montréal’s main thoroughfares.

These provisions also aim more specifically to :

• Limit the visual impact of mechanical equipment and advertising signs;
• Limit the visual impact and ensure harmonization of antenna installations, ensure consistency among all city rules, standards and criteria regarding their setting and appearance, provide elected officials with a right of review with regard to their authorization by means of the conditional use procedure, without compromising adequate wave coverage on the entire city territory.

Provisions

5.8.1 Antennas

• Borough by-laws must control the installation of an accessory antenna on a building or a site so as to limit its visibility from public thoroughfares.
• Borough by-laws must provide that the installation of a non-accessory transmitting antenna and its equipment as well as the construction of support structures for non accessory transmitting antennas, comply with authorization procedures, rules, conditions and criteria provided in articles 5.8.1.1 to 5.8.1.4 formulated so as to take into account local circumstances. The issue of a permit serves as proof of approval of the authority having jurisdiction.

5.8.1.1 Antennas on public property

Borough by-laws must control the setting of antennas and their equipment installed on public property on an urban furniture element, such as the support structure of a streetlight or of traffic lights or on a post, by way of standards or criteria in an area that is predominantly industrial or used for transportation, communication or large infrastructure equipment or by conditional uses in areas other than those mentioned above.

Such by-laws must require that the following be provided:

• A plan showing the deployment of the network that comprises the antenna for which the application is made in a given area;
• A plan showing the setting of the antenna;
• A composite color photograph showing the setting of the antenna and of its equipment.

Such by-laws must provide the following standards or criteria:

• The placement of antennas bordering on highways and high-traffic thoroughfares or in commercial or public heavy equipment areas must be preferred;
• The placement of antennas in heritage or residential areas, parks, or high pedestrian traffic areas must be avoided;

An authorization for an antenna and its equipment installed on public property on an urban furniture element, such as the support structure of a streetlight or of traffic lights or on a post, must include standards, criteria and conditions so as to ensure that the following requirements are met:

• Devices or equipment related to the antenna must be installed underground or in a cabinet or housing meant to conceal wires and connections;
• The antenna, including related devices and equipment, and its housing:

• may not be installed in front of an immovable subject to protection measures under the Cultural Property Act, R.S.Q., chapter B-4, or a building of heritage and architectural interest as listed in the Master Plan;
• may not be installed on the support structure of a streetlight or of traffic lights unless it has no distinctive ornamental or contemporary design character, or unless it is concealed inside the support structure;
• may not be installed in the space between the window of a dwelling or a balcony and a roadway and must be installed parallel to traffic;
• must be integrated in the support structure of a streetlight or of traffic lights or in the post, by being painted the same color and by having the same finish.

• The antenna must be as small as possible and tend to have the same diameter as the support structure of the streetlight or traffic lights on which it is installed, without exceeding a width, depth or diameter of 25 cm. The antenna may be installed atop the support structure, except in the case of gooseneck streetlights, where there are no decorative or lighting elements. Where it may not be installed atop the support structure, the antenna must be secured near the support structure using a discrete fastening integrating all wires and cables;
• The housing must be as small as possible and have a narrow, thin shape that tends to be equivalent to that of the traffic light head, without being more than 40 cm thick and more than 56 cm wide, on the support structure of a streetlight or traffic light and without being more than 65 cm wide on a post. It must be installed behind a road sign or traffic light so as to reduce its visibility.

Any wires or cables must be enclosed inside a hollow support structure or, if such structure is not hollow, they must be concealed in a conduit.

5.8.1.2 Antenna support structure and antenna

Borough by-laws must control the setting of antenna support structures of at most 10 m in height from the ground and regulate antennas and their equipment of more than 1 m2 installed on such support structures so as to limit their visibility from the public thoroughfare.

Borough by-laws must control the setting of antenna support structures of 10 m or more in height from the ground or of antennas and their equipment of more than 1 m2 installed on such support structures by means of standards or criteria, in an area that is predominantly industrial or used for transportation, communication or large infrastructure equipment and by conditional uses an area that is predominantly commercial and where residential use is not authorized.

Such by-laws must require that the following be provided:

• A plan showing the setting of the antenna support structure, antennas and equipment in relation to the building or the site;
• A composite color photograph showing the setting of the antenna support structure, antennas and of their equipment;
• A wave coverage plan;
• A plan showing the location of buildings and antenna support structures bearing antennas within a 1 km radius and a document justifying the impossibility of using an existing antenna support structure for the placement of a new antenna; 
• A technical justification as well as a layout plan showing the possibility of sharing the antenna support structure with other users; 
• A landscaping plan.

Such by-laws must provide the following standards or criteria:

• The placement of an antenna support structure in an area already having adequate wave coverage must be avoided;
• The installation of an antenna on the rooftop or wall of a tall building must be preferred; 
• The design and color of an antenna support structure must tend to attenuate its impact, to integrate it to its environment and to contribute to its enhancement;
• The placement of an antenna support structure in or near an area having characteristics of heritage, historic, ecological, natural, landscaping or archeological interest must be avoided;
• The location of an antenna support structure, an antenna or equipment must be chosen so as to minimize its impact on a building or sensitive area such as a residential or institutional area (daycare, school, hospital) located in proximity;
• The antenna support structure must be set in such a location so as to avoid blocking a vista clearing or a landscape of interest and its characteristics must tend to blend with the characteristics of the site.

The authorization for an antenna support structure of 10 m or more in height from the ground or for an antenna and its equipment of more than 1 m2 installed on such a support structure, must include rules, criteria and conditions so as to ensure that the following requirements are met:

• The configuration of the antenna support structure must provide the potential for future installation of other antennas so as to reduce the number of support  structures in a given area;
• The setting, characteristics of the antenna support structure, the antennas and their operation may not hinder the development or use of city infrastructures and equipment;
• The site on which the antenna support structure and its equipment are installed must be laid out so as to conceal them from thoroughfares or from adjacent sites;
• An antenna support structure and its equipment must be installed in a backyard or a setback from adjacent buildings or from the construction line, if no building exists;
• The ground-level equipment of an antenna must be installed inside a closed housing that is minimally visible and that is integrated to the environment in regard of its volume, siding, shape and landscaping.

5.8.1.3 Wall-mounted antennas

A wall-mounted antenna must be regulated by standards or criteria.

Borough by-laws must require that the following be provided:

• A plan showing the setting of the antenna and its equipment on the building and the site;
• A composite color photograph showing the setting of the antenna and its equipment as well as all other antennas and accessory equipment already installed or to be installed on the building.

Borough by-laws must provide standards or criteria:

• So as to avoid that the antenna visually clutters a wall;
• Promoting locations, dimensions and colors of antennas, support structures or electric ducts so as to render them invisible from public thoroughfares;
• Promoting the installation of antenna equipment on rooftops inside closed housings invisible from public thoroughfares.

5.8.1.4 Rooftop antennas

A rooftop antenna must be regulated by way of standards or criteria.

Borough by-laws must require that the following be provided:

• A plan showing the setting of the antenna and its equipment on the building and the site;
• A composite color photograph showing the setting of the antenna and its equipment as well as all other antennas and accessory equipment already installed or to be installed on the building.

Borough by-laws must provide standards or criteria:

• Promoting the positioning of antennas and their equipment so as to render them invisible from adjacent streets by requiring, depending on their height, a setback from the façade;
• Promoting the integration of antennas, support structures or electric ducts to the building on which they are installed;
• So as to avoid that the antenna visually clutters the roof.

Borough by-laws must control the installation of mechanical equipment on a building or a site so as to limit its visibility from public thoroughfares.

• For the territories identified on the Map titled “ Areas requiring the integration of rooftop equipment and enclosures ” found at the end of the present complementary document (see Appendix G), the borough by-laws must include:
  • Rules or criteria ensuring that the construction or transformation of a building or part of a building visible from observation points A, F and R identified on the map titled “ Views of interest from Mount Royal ” found at the end of the present complementary document (see Appendix C), be designed in keeping with the architectural integration of mechanical equipment or rooftop enclosures, in particular as to the volume, covering materials and shades used.

5.8.3 Advertising signs

• Borough by-laws must prohibit advertising signs in the following places :
  • An area identified on Map 2.6.1 entitled “ Built Heritage ” with the exception of a significant urban setting;
  • A heritage site and a designated historic monument;
  • A historic property, historic site or designated historic monument as defined by the Loi sur les biens culturels (Cultural Property Act);
  • A building of heritage or architectural interest outside areas of exceptional value enumerated in Part II of the Master Plan, titled “ Borough documents ”;
  • A site that borders the waterside roadway identified in the illustration titled “ The waterside roadway ”.
• Borough by-laws must prohibit billboards in an area where housing is authorized.