PHOTOS: Prince George takes action on two dangerous, nuisance properties

Prince George city council is taking action on two dangerous and nuisance properties, including the former Willow Inn Motel on Victoria Street.

At last night’s city council meeting (June 24), Fred Crittenden, manager of bylaw services, requested council’s approval to take remedial action on the property at 1656 Victoria St. as well as a residential nuisance property on Blackburn Road.

“This property is fairly well known to most members of council,” said Crittenden of the motel. Staff has recommended the property is in an unsafe condition and requires remedial action to demolish and remove the damaged structure, and level the site, in order to eliminate the unsafe condition.

Crittenden explained at a hearing five years ago the business license for the Willow Inn was suspended and the ownership of the property failed to comply with any of the conditions set out with council and the business has remained vacant since.

Then in October of last year, there was a fire in the structure causing significant damage. The property has also been for sale on-and-off since the business license was removed.

Crittenden says if the property were to sell, the city would work with the new owners to bring it into compliance.

“I think it’s in the city’s best interest if the building is no longer there,” said Crittenden. “We don’t think it’s salvageable. We don’t believe that anyone who would own that property would take the steps to deal with it.”

Council approved all of the remedial recommendation associated with the property.

It set July 10 as the final date for the owner to request a reconsideration and July 26 as the compliance date and authorized administration to take action to ensure the property is brought into compliance.

“In this situation, we are asking for the direction of council to have the building demolished,” explained Crittenden. “If the owner at the time fails to pay that bill, that fee would go onto the property taxes.”

The second property council dealt with during the meeting is a trailer located at 1451 North Blackburn Rd.

“In this particular instance we are not looking for demolition for the residence we are strictly looking for remedial actions related to the property,” said Crittenden.

He said in April, they received a report of an unsightly property and issued a notice on April 18 related to that.

A follow-up inspection was completed and saw no action was taken so a second notice was then issued on May 7, but still, no action was taken by the property owner to clean up.

“This property has been subjected to 19 investigations by bylaw services since 2008,” said Crittenden. “We are asking that council declares this property a nuisance and imposes remedial action on the declared nuisance.”

Council also approved all of the remedial recommendations associated with this property and set July 10 as the final date for the owner to request a reconsideration and July 26 as the compliance date.