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Slumber Lodge ordered to be demolished

The city is serving the owner of the vacant Slumber Lodge in Williams Lake an order to demolish the buildings.
mly Slumber Lodge July 22
The out-of-town owner of the vacant Slumber Lodge is being given an order by the city to demolish the buildings.

After several years of going back and forth with remedial orders the city is serving the owner of the vacant Slumber Lodge in Williams Lake an order to demolish the buildings.

In pushing for the motel’s demolition, Coun. Scott Nelson said the owner has played “cat and mouse” with the community for seven years.

“It hasn’t got any better, in fact it’s got worse,” he said.

“It has cost us tens of thousands of dollars. We’ve given this guy more warnings, more chances and more opportunities to shape this up. It’s an eyesore, I say tear it down.”

Numerous times the RCMP and the fire department have attended the site, dealing with squatters, vandalism and fires, with the most recent fire on July 4, 2015.

In 2012, the owner did block access to the suites by nailing in plywood throughout.

At Tuesday’s regular meeting, city council endorsed sending a demolition order to the owner by registered mail.

Upon receipt of the order, the owner will have 14 days to appeal it.

The owner will be required to provide the city with a detailed timeline of his plan, senior bylaw officer Brendon Foote told council.

“If he doesn’t complete the work outlined in the timeline, the city can step in and complete the work for him,” Foote said, noting the city’s building inspector has been in contact with the owner.

The city has also signed a contract with a security company to monitor the property in the interim.

If the city ends up tearing it down, the cost will be added to the property tax bill, Mayor Walt Cobb confirmed.

 



Monica Lamb-Yorski

About the Author: Monica Lamb-Yorski

A B.C. gal, I was born in Alert Bay, raised in Nelson, graduated from the University of Winnipeg, and wrote my first-ever article for the Prince Rupert Daily News.
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