Derelict building bylaw lacks teeth, councillor says
BY RYAN CROCKER
STAFF REPORTER
ryan.crocker@canstarnews.com

A veteran city councillor says efforts to revitalize the North End continue to be hamstrung by an ineffective vacant and derelict building bylaw.
Mynarski Coun. Harry Lazarenko said the majority of the city's derelict properties are in his ward. He said the city needs the province to adopt tougher legislation to address the problem.

Lazarenko said it takes far too long for the city to seize derelict properties and the process needs to be shortened. It currently takes the city at least 450 days to take the title of a derelict property.  

"How long would these vacant and derelict buildings stand if they were in Tuxedo?" Lazarenko asked. "I know for a fact there's no way that people there would ever stand for it. But in the North End, it's different."

Garry Solkoski, an administrator of housing and existing buildings for the city, acknowledged at a recent Lord Selkirk-West Kildonan community committee that the current legislation hasn't produced much in the way of results.

Solkoski said the city has taken title to just one derelict building since the existing vacant and derelict building bylaw was adopted in 2004.
He added the city is in the process of seizing the titles to hundreds of vacant and derelict properties but current legislation makes that process very time-consuming. The city must work its way through a complicated, 14-step process before being issued a title, which in some cases can take years, he added.

Lazarenko said many derelict buildings have become havens for Canadian and foreign criminals, who purchase the properties as a shelter for their money.

"They buy these run-down properties and leave them that way," he said. "Let's seize these properties and let someone invest in them. In order to continue revitalizing the North End, this has to happen."

Property owners currently have the right to appeal the seizure of their property, which can delay the process even further. Solkoski said the city plans to show less tolerance for such delays in the future.

"We're looking at being more aggressive and hitting them where it hurts - in the pocket book," he said, noting the city is considering making repairs to some derelict properties and adding the cost to the owner's property tax bill. It is also considering increasing the penalties for derelict property owners.

While Lazarenko supports such efforts, he maintains that tougher legislation and enforcement is what is really needed. He said that the city should be able to take possession of derelict properties within a 90-day period.
"Right now it can drag on for years," he said.

Lazarenko and the other members of the community committee recommended at their Jan. 12 meeting that the city look at ways of streamlining the process. The legal services and property, planning and development departments are expected to make their recommendations to the city's standing policy committee on property later this year.

Sel Burrows of Power Line, a community-run crime prevention initiative in Point Douglas, said keeping the pressure on the city and the province is important.

"We don't want our neighbourhood to look like a slum so the community has got to play a role by letting the city know about these buildings and ensuring they're dealt with."

Christina Kimball, a North End resident whose daughter lives in Point Douglas, said she wishes her neighbourhood would follow Point Douglas' lead.
"They really should take care of these buildings, at least renovate them," Kimball said. ³Doing so definitely works. I¹ve already seen it in Point Douglas and I'd love to see it here."

Daria Poitras, who was born in the North End and still works there, said addressing the problem would bring more people into the North End.
"If they would just improve the look of the area, it would draw more people in," she said. "There's lots of cute little places here and it's a shame all these run-down buildings make it look bad."