HomeMy WebLinkAboutCRPS-09-087 - Amendments to Chapter 665 Property Standards - Unfinished Buildings
REPORT
REPORT TO:
Finance and Corporate Services Committee
DATE OF MEETING:
June 22, 2009
SUBMITTED BY:
Troy Speck, General Manager of Corporate Services
PREPARED BY:
Shayne Turner, Director of By-law Enforcement
WARD(S) INVOLVED:
All
DATE OF REPORT: June 4, 2009
REPORT NO.:
CRPS-09-087
SUBJECT:
AMENDMENT TO CHAPTER 665 (PROPERTY
STANDARDS) - RELATING TO UNFINISHED BUILDINGS
RECOMMENDATION:
That a by-law be enacted to amend Chapter 665 (Property Standards) to include a provision
requiring that unfinished buildings, that remain unfinished for a minimum period of 12 months,
be finished in an acceptable manner, as outlined in Report No. CRPS-09-087.
BACKGROUND:
By-law Enforcement staff have, with some regularity, received complaints with regard to
buildings or portions of buildings which remain unfinished for prolonged periods of time. These
situations may or may not involve the requirement for a building permit. Currently, the City has
no specific regulations that require unfinished buildings to be finished within a specified time
period. Having said this, staff believe that it is feasible to include a provision relating to
unfinished buildings in the City’s existing Property Standards By-law
REPORT:
Staff have identified several potential issues associated with buildings that remain unfinished for
a length of time. These include the potential for deterioration of the structure due to exposure to
the elements, the potential for aesthetic concerns relative to the surrounding neighbourhood,
and the potential for increased fire safety concerns due to the exposed structure. Also, it should
be noted that unfinished buildings may also serve to attract the attention of vandals.
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Currently, the Building Code Act does not require that a structure be finished within a specified
period of time once construction has begun. As such, staff are proposing an amendment to
Chapter 665 (Property Standards) that would require the completion of a building or part thereof
that has remained unfinished for a period of at least 12 months.
It must be noted that, once a Property Standards Order is issued, requiring the completion of an
unfinished structure, the normal enforcement process will be followed, including the potential for
the Order to be appealed to the Property Standards Appeal Committee.
It is also important to note that each situation will be assessed on its individual factors and staff
will use their discretion as to whether or not an Order to complete a structure is warranted or
when it should be issued (ie. for example, a property owner who is showing progress in
completing a building or who may be facing unforeseen issues).
A draft amending by-law is currently being reviewed by By-law Enforcement and Legal staff and
will be presented to Council on June 29, 2009.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
None identified at this time.
CONCLUSION:
Staff believe it is appropriate to amend Chapter 665 (Property Standards) to require that
unfinished buildings, or portions thereof, be finished to an appropriate standard within a
reasonable timeframe. This amendment will allow staff to issue an Order to have a structure
completed when it is deemed appropriate to do so by a Property Standards Officer.
ACKNOWLEDGED BY: Troy Speck, General Manager of Corporate Services
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