The district has ordered a Larch Street home, the site of a former marijuana grow operation and subsequent fire, be torn down and removed.
Last week, council supported a Remedial Action Requirement, as per the B.C. Community Charter, for the demolition of a residence at 705 Larch Ave. – the site of a structure fire on July 22, 2013.
An Aug. 11, 2014 staff report states the registered owner, identified as Thi Hong Lien Dao, has not made an effort to communicate with the district, nor has any remedial action been taken on the site since a March 20, 2014 site inspection involving the district’s building inspector, fire chief and the property manager for the mortgage holder.
A resolution contained in the report states the building was badly damaged in the fire and is in an unsafe condition, and that written complaints have been received by the district. The resolution goes on to declare to the structure a nuisance “so dilapidated as to be offensive to the community,” and orders it demolished and removed, including its foundation, no later than 60 days after notice of the Remedial Action Requirement has been sent to the registered owner. In addition, a 1.5 metre tall fence is to be kept around the structure until the above condition is met (including the removal of the septic system), and the hole left by the demolition is filled in and levelled.
If the owner does not submit a request to council to reconsider the proposed remedial action, nor does he follow through with it, the district may undertake any or all of the actions at the owner’s expense.
Community planning officer Mike Marrs explained any cost to the district would be collected by way of property taxes and by the sale of the lot.
“So the bank, in other words, will take this loss,” said Marrs.
In April 2012, police began investigating activities at the house after comments were received by concerned residents. On April 18, Salmon Arm RCMP pulled over a vehicle “associated with the residence.” This led to the arrest of the vehicle’s sole occupant, a 41-year old Surrey man. Later that day, investigating officers obtained and executed a search at 705 Larch Avenue, where they discovered 1,000 marijuana plants in various stages of growth.
On July 22, 2013, at around 1:30 p.m., Sicamous firefighters responded to a report of a fire at 705 Larch, which was unoccupied at the time. Firefighters arrived to find the attached garage fully engulfed, with the flames spreading up the side of the home and into the attic.
At the time, the fire chief referred to the blaze as being “somewhat suspicious,” noting there was a hedge fire at the same address in October 2012. Police, however, could only call the fire an “unfortunate incident,” noting the structure appeared to have been under renovation at the time.
Neighbour Dawn Backs thanked council for supporting the resolution, but asked that it include removal of the septic system, which council agreed to do.