Street Study: Vicinity of City Hall - Part One
In today’s Street Study, we take a look at illegal signs within the vicinity of City Hall.
In Part 1 we start with the parking lot to the north-west of City Hall. It houses 5 illegal signs and is actually the subject of a restrictive provision in the Signs By-Law prohibiting third party signage to protect entranceways to the City Hall.
80 Chestnut Street - Illegal Pattison Pillar
Pattison Outdoor is operating this illegal pillar, at the intersection of Armoury and Chestnut streets, within spitting distance of City Hall. There are employees of the City of Toronto Buildings Department, responsible for issuing permits in this part of town, who, when they look out the window from their desk, can see this sign.
When we brought this sign to the attention of Acting Chief Buildings Official Laughlin, he was none too pleased.
This sign has no permit. Not only that but, this sign, like the rest of the Pattison signs in this parking lot, illegally replaced a pre-existing illegal sign that Pattison had been operating under permit 95-375433. This permit allowed pedestal signs with signage on the north and west sides only, yet Pattison had been operating illegal signage on the City Hall - facing east and south sides.
In it’s meeting of July 14, 2005, the City of Toronto’s Pedestrian Committee pondered Armoury and Chestnut while considering the issue of the Nathan Philips Square redesign. The committee recommended the following:
the intersection of Armoury and Chestnut streets should be a gateway to Nathan Phillips Square for pedestrians and cyclists[;] with its peculiar geometry, unclear sightlines, and entrance to the parking garage, [it] should be improved for pedestrians
In light of the Pedestrian Committee’s decision, we point out that Pattison’s sign at this intersection violates a provision in the Signs By-Law that mandates that ground and pedestal signs are setback a minimum of 6 metres from the intersection of two streets - a provision designed to protect pedestrian and driver sightlines.
11 Centre Ave - Illegal StreetLife Kiosk Sign
StreetLife Media is operating this illegal sign on the roof of a parking lot kiosk, across the street from the court offices. This sign was erected about a month ago. StreetLife does not have one legal sign in the City.
11 Centre Ave - Illegal Pattison Pillar
Just south of the StreetLife sign, Pattison’s pillar, at the corner of Centre and Armoury is also totally illegal. The particular location of this sign, at an intersection traveled on foot by our most senior law judges and justice system officials, suggests a contempt for the rule of law on Pattison’s part to say the least.
33 Centre Ave - Illegal Pattison Pillar
Further up the street, Pattison’s sign at the north-west corner of the parking lot is also illegal.
94 Chestnut Street - Illegal Pattison Pillar
And the pillar at the north-east corner is also illegal.
Stay tuned for Part Two of Vicinity of City Hall
