An “X” sign installed at Twitter’s San Francisco headquarters on Friday as part of the company’s rebranding is being investigated by the city for not having the proper permit, officials said.
“A building permit is required to ensure the sign is structurally sound and safely installed,” Patrick Hannan, a spokesman for the San Francisco Department of Building Inspection said in a statement Sunday. “Planning review and approval is also required for the installation of this sign.”
An inspector went to Twitter’s headquarters on Friday to inform the company that it was in violation and requested access to the roof to inspect the sign, according to a complaint filed with the city.
Twitter representatives told the inspector that the sign was a “temporary lighted sign for an event,” the complaint said.
City inspectors attempted to gain access to the roof a second time on Saturday, but “upon arrival access was again denied by the tenant,” the complaint said.
Twitter did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Sunday.
Matt Dorsey, the District 6 supervisor who represents the part of the city where Twitter is headquartered, said the company appeared to be in an “adversarial posture” when it refused to let building inspectors in. He said he hoped it would change their stance.
“I want to sort out an olive branch,” Mr. Dorsey said. “I think a lot of people in city government would welcome the opportunity to work with a large employer like X, and let’s see what we do with the sign, but we can have a good productive partnership with a master in the city.”
This isn’t the first time the social media company has had an issue with signage.
San Francisco police stopped workers Monday from removing the iconic bird logo from the side of the building, saying the workers did not tape the sidewalk to keep pedestrians safe if someone falls, The Associated Press reported.
A complaint about the removal of that sign was also filed with the city. The “X” was installed shortly after the original sign was removed, the AP reported.