Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009 ::: New Signs

In February 2009, Toronto and East York Community Council approved Clear Channel’s variance application [PDF] to maintain their illegal fascia sign at Yonge and Dundas West.

After the variance was approved we wrote: Clear Channel Gets Variance for 595 Bay Street, But Will it Get A Permit? suggesting that the approved sign could not be made to comply with the provision of the Ontario Building Code on account of the obstruction of windows necessary for fire safety.

Turns out, we were right. Clear Channel made a permit application to build the sign pursuant to the variance, but the permit was never issued. After being vacant for some time, Clear Channel re-erected the illegal sign in the afternoon of September 16, 2009:

We filed a complaint and two days later, Municipal Licensing and Standards issued this Notice of Violation requiring the illegal sign to be removed:

Which just goes to show that City Council can’t legalize a sign that’s squarely under the jurisdiction of provincial law.