Tuesday, December 1st, 2009 ::: City Hall: Death and Taxes

How fitting. We have discovered that the Out of Home Marketing Association is using illegal billboards to promote CityBillboardTax.ca.

For example, take this Titan Outdoor vinyl fascia sign at 76 Church Street:

We filed a complaint against this sign in late 2003. In June 2006, this permit to paint a mural sign was issued to 76 Church Street. In lieu of painting a legal sign, Titan built a vinyl sign. In response, Municipal Licensing and Standards issued this Notice of Violation:

According to page 9 of this staff report [PDF], Municipal Licensing and Standards considers the sign illegal because it is a “Fascia being operated under mural permit.”

In addition to the illegal billboard OMAC is using at 76 Church Street, OMAC is using this illegal billboard at 1163 St Clair Avenue West, at Dufferin:

We wrote about this illegal billboard in January. According to Page 4 of this Staff Report [PDF], the sign obtained a 1 year permission in 2002 and “On basis of the said conditions, the property owner was required to remove the sign by August 28, 2003, i.e., one year after the date when the building permit for the sign was issued. The sign remains on the property.”

Folllow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/illegalsigns