Sean Hart, CBS Outdoor’s Engineer, To Face Allegations of Professional Misconduct Over 346 Dupont Street
In early 2008, IllegalSigns.ca filed a complaint with the Professional Engineers of Ontario regarding the conduct of CBS Outdoor’s engineer in connection with the building permit issued to this fascia sign at 346 Dupont Street:
The sign at 346 Dupont Street was developed by Murad, which was ultimately acquired by CBS Outdoor. CBS sold the sign at 346 Dupont Street to Titan Outdoor. We wrote about the sign in Titan Outdoor’s City Council Approved Fascia Sign at 346 Dupont Street Is Illegal Because It Violates the Building Code.
The allegations against Sean P. Hart have progressed to the point at which PEO staff are bringing the matter to the attention of the PEO’s Complaints Committee this summer.
These are the four allegations against Sean Hart which PEO staff are moving forward:
- He failed to carry out the field review of the structural engineering component of the sign construction as required by the Ontario Building Code;
- He failed to make responsible provision for complying with the applicable statutes, regulations, standards, codes, by-laws and rules in connection with the work being undertaken by or under his responsibility;
- He breached Section 78 of Regulation 941/90;
- He acted in an unprofessional manner.
The allegations against Sean Hart have not been proven in a court or tribunal.
The allegations summary speaks to the indolent conduct of the City of Toronto building inspector who handled the file. It notes that “In or about April 2002, City of Toronto documentation indicated that the fascia sign was installed at 346 Dupont Street and the building permit for the sign should be cleared.”
It is common practice for the City of Toronto’s Buildings Department to look the other way in the face of possible misconduct by Professional Engineers who work for billboard companies. None of the Professional Engineers who actually work for the Buildings Department brought this matter to the attention of the PEO; neither did the building inspector who inspected the permit in 2002.
IllegalSigns.ca is committed to ensuring that the City of Toronto’s new Sign Unit is required by City Council to investigate every possible act of historic misconduct on the part of Professional Engineers who work for billboard companies and report those instances to the PEO and to City Council.
