The Village of Cumberland has again ordered a clean-up at a Derwent Avenue house, less than 18 months after it last did so.
Staff presented an update to council at the May 30 meeting about the latest inspection in mid-May, which again yielded multiple instances of unsightly items on the property as well as issues with an accessory building close to the house at 2721 Derwent Ave. The garage beside the house was built without a permit and an application remains incomplete.
The report followed a number of complaints from the public and specifically cites 33 written submissions.
“The village continues to receive complaints about the property, and the owner and occupiers continue to permit nuisances on the property,” corporate officer Rachel Parker said.
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Along with numerous vehicles and a motorboat, the site include many items. The report shows pictures and lists other items such as tires, building materials and unused gas cylinders.
The village’s action order includes a requirement the garage, which is illegally occupied, to be demolished.
The respondents to the notice from the village have 14 days once it is received in which to appeal the action, but if there is no appeal and no remedial action is taken, the village will conduct a clean-up and charge the costs to the owner. The staff report says remedial action orders are less costly than other bylaw tools such as court injunctions because they provide for cost recovery.
“The property has been a concern for quite a while,” Coun. Vickey Brown said.
In January 2021, council listened to a similar presentation from staff about public complaints over the same site. The remedial action order was not completed in time, and the village remains unable to bring the site into compliance.
At the latest meeting, council unanimously passed the motion for the village to take action pending any appeal from the respondents. The order cites in addition to vehicles the presence of items such as machinery, gas storage containers, cords, hoses, cables and building materials. There are also a couple of notices posted on the door to a front foyer.
“It has been a trying process, and I hope this is the solution,” Mayor Leslie Baird said. “The neighbours and the people that walk by have really had enough.”
The Record has attempted to contact the owner and a resident but had not heard a response by the time the story went to press.
mike.chouinard@comoxvalleyrecord.com
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