City of Charlottetown takes action to clean up Brighton home
Krystalle Ramlakhan | CBC News | Posted: July 7, 2016 7:12 PM | Last Updated: July 7, 2016
'Hopefully at the end of the process it'll be brought into the norm on the street'
The City of Charlottetown is taking action to clean up an "unsightly" home in the Brighton neighbourhood.
The York Lane home has been deemed not compliant with the hazardous and unsightly premises bylaw by the city's bylaw enforcement officer.
A city committee is expected to put forward a resolution to take action to clean the property at Monday's city council meeting.
There was a great deal of material in there. — Mike Duffy, Charlottetown deputy mayor
Deputy Mayor Mike Duffy said it will be a multi-step process.
"The unsightly part is the grass around the area. Although it's been cut recently, it is always seems to … be over the six-inch limit," said Duffy.
City will move in
He said neighbours have expressed concerns about rodents in and around the property, there are propane tanks around the outside of the home and the bushes aren't trimmed.
"There's garbage here and there, so we're going to work with the owner of the property to bring it into compliance."
The committee plans to recommend the city help the owner lay out a plan to bring the home into compliance.
"If after a reasonable period of time — two weeks or so — he has done nothing the city can move in and probably will move in and do the cleanup themselves and then turn the bill over to the owner," said Duffy.
If the owner fails to to pay the bill the city can put a municipal lien on the property.
City cleaned up house before
He said the city will also be asking an engineer to conduct an assessment of the property to make sure the structure itself is safe, but there's material in the home that will have to be moved in order for that inspection to take place.
"We will try to work closely with the owner to move the stuff and respect that it is his home, and we're just trying to help him to bring him back in within the parameters of the bylaw," Duffy said.
"Hopefully at the end of the process it'll be brought into the norm on the street."
He and several neighbours say they don't believe the owner is living in the house regularly.
Duffy said the city cleaned up the property about five years ago after similar complaints.
CBC News was unable to reach the owner of the home.
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