City faces new property remediation issue
By Kyra Hoggan
With City-ordered work on the City Centre Motel not even complete, Castlegar officials are having to undertake remedial action on a second, unrelated property.
Council voted, at its regular meeting Monday night, to proceed with remedial action in regard to 3626 14th Ave.
“It’s several acres in the Emerald Green subdivision, right next to Grandview Heights,” said councillor Russ Hearne, chair of council’s planning and development committee. “The owner cleared the whole parcel with the intent of developing it, and started building one house there, back in 2008.”
The intervening two-and-a-half years have, however, seenno progress made at the site, which is creating issues for neighbouring residents.
“The half-completed house is an eyesore that’s making it difficult for people who want to sell adjacent homes to find buyers,” Hearne said. “And when the wind blows, all that bare land makes huge dust clouds that blanket the entire area. It’s awful, and it’s not fair to the neighbours.”
Hearne said the city has already sent letters to the owner, who is not a Castlegar resident, but received little or no response.
“Hopefully, we are going to be able to work with the owner to see the house completed and the exterior landscaping done.”
If the owner is uncooperative, the city may have to follow a similar route to the one taken with the City Centre Motel, in which the city pays for the remediation and bills the owner.
In related news, city manager John Malcolm says work is almost complete in the demolition of City Centre Motel.
“I think they’ll probably be done within a week or so,” he said, adding the final bill will be in the ballpark of $150,000 … a bill the city will send to property owner Susan McLaren upon completion of the work.
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