City officials feel a new community standards bylaw is doing its job as a condemned property on Laval Drive shows signs of improvement.
The vacant house on Laval Drive was condemned in 2004 and has since been at the centre of an ongoing battle with city officials due to unsightliness. The situation prompted council to pass a community standards bylaw last spring that included new rules for the appearance of uninhabited homes.
Vacant buildings must be free of graffiti and boarded-up windows must be painted to match or complement the exterior colour scheme.
City staff have worked with the property owner but progress at the house on Laval Drive has been slow and difficult due to city staffing changes and health issues experienced by the owner’s family, said Aaron Giesbrecht, manager of RCMP administration and community policing.
But the property owner did comply with a city notice to cover broken windows and remove graffiti by Nov. 29 so the property is now in compliance with the bylaw, Giesbrecht said.
The new bylaw also states that owners of uninhabitable buildings have two years to fix the problems or tear the house down, with fines of up to $10,000 at stake for failing to comply. But the city hasn’t yet started the clock on the two-year limit.
“Clearly we have to give the homeowner reasonable notice. We can’t assume he knows that provision of the bylaw,” Giesbrecht said.
Once the city issues an official notice, the two-year countdown will begin.
Following an update to city council, some councillors wondered whether the city is being too soft on the property owner.
“I appreciate that we’re doing our best to accommodate the landowner but we have to remember the neighbours in the neighbourhood,” said Coun. Cathy Heron.
Coun Wes Brodhead had a similar concern.
“I recognize that perhaps this individual might be faced with personal hardship, however I didn’t read a whole lot of commitment on his part to meet the requirements of the order,” he said. “At what point in time do we move to the next stage in enforcement?”
If problems with the property continue, the city will continue to enforce its bylaw or look to provisions within the Municipal Government Act, Giesbrecht said. He noted the landowner seems to be able to address city orders when pushed.
“Even though progress is very slow, at the end of the day, he seems to comply with final notices before tickets are issued,” Giesbrecht said.
The owner in question, an Edmontonian, has said he intends to fix up the house for habitation, city staff told council.
Mayor Nolan Crouse said complaints about the property have stopped because the exterior is looking better but he knows area residents are concerned.
“The owner has been doing a good job in keeping it cleaned up. The problem now is it’s a target for vandalism. It’s a target for graffiti. We’ve got to continue to pressure,” he said.
Council accepted the update as information and requested further updates every six months.
