A partially collapsed house at 2961 Sherman Rd. in North Cowichan that has drawn complaints will be torn down.
North Cowichan’s council decided at its meeting on Jan. 15 that the property owner of the dilapidated home must fence the structure in within 30 days and a demolition permit must be applied for from the municipality within 90 days, with the demolition completed within 180 days.
After receiving a complaint about the property early last year, staff advised the property owner that the building must be demolished as it poses a risk to anyone entering it.
“Subsequently, the collapsed house, easily visible from Sherman Road, has been the subject of numerous complaints referencing the unsightly nature of the structure and potential hazards,” said John Horn, North Cowichan’s director of social planning and protective services, in a report to council.
“Bylaw staff have since engaged with the owner’s representative on several occasions to advise of the numerous unsightly complaints that the bylaw department has received, and to request that the owner apply for a demolition permit to demolish the structure and remove the debris.”
Horn said the property owner has had almost 12 months to address the hazardous and unsightly condition of the structure, but to date, no action has been taken.
Sapan Boparai, a son of the property owner who was at the meeting, told council that he understands the property is currently an eyesore.
“It’s not that we don’t want to take care of this building, but times are not easy,” he said to council. “My brother and I are the only two working people in our household and we’ve been working very diligently and very hard to put together a subdivision on that property that’s going to consist of 30 below-market rental units, and all our money has been going to that.”
Boparai said that all he and his family are asking for is for a little more time to put a fence around the home and demolish it, and when/if their housing development gets approval from North Cowichan, they will also tear down other structures on the property and remove all the debris from the demolitions.
Horn said that from staff’s perspective, the municipality wants to see the site safe, the unsightly elements of the property dealt with and that the property owners commit to remove the debris when they move on with the rest of their development.
“That’s what we’re looking for,” he said.
Council unanimously voted for the timelines for the demolition process.
