Atwork Construction Inc. will be allowed to finish its housing project under the municipality’s Replacement Housing Incentive Program, even though the incentive permit expired in late February.
Company owner Gordon Murdock appeared before city council’s executive committee on April 22 to ask for an extension on the permit. The business is building a home at 1161 Third Avenue Northeast.
After a brief discussion, council approved a recommendation to extend the permit to Friday, May 31 so the construction company could finish building the home. The recommendation must be approved during the May 13 regular meeting to become official.
The Replacement Housing Incentive Program (RHIP) is intended to stimulate construction of new housing in older areas of Moose Jaw. Once the municipality’s building official confirms that the dwelling is substantially complete, approved applicants will received a five-year, 100-per-cent tax exemption beginning on Jan. 1 of the following year of completion.
The loss in revenue the municipality would experience from this property over five years would be $4,244.70.
Presentation
The company received its building permit and approval under RHIP on Feb. 13, 2018, Murdock explained. He had every intention to start digging the basement then, but discovered the frost line was 10 to 12 feet deep. The company was then unable to start excavation until that spring.
“Even if I dug the hole, I would not have been able to continue,” he said. “We did encounter some frost (in June), but not enough to get in the way. It was my fault — an oversight on my part — to not talk to city engineering and change the start date on my permit.”
This was the company’s first home build. Excavation had reached seven feet in depth before Murdock realized this past March that his company wouldn’t be able to complete the project by deadline.
Murdock added he expects to have the occupancy permit by May 15.
Council discussion
Murdock would have to reapply and pay an administrative fee if he wanted his start date extended, Michelle Sanson, director of planning and development services, told city council. Furthermore, city hall doesn’t have the authority to grant an extension to his building permit since it expired on Feb. 20, 2019.
In the last few years, four reports covering five properties have come to executive committee for extensions to construction deadlines, Sanson added. All except one was denied, since the others met the deadline requirements.
The one exception occurred because of a medical issue with the contractor.
“I struggled with this one. My gut instinct is I support this,” said Mayor Fraser Tolmie. “I think I respect administration’s recommendation, but one way I look at this is it is an incentive program … .
“I really appreciative that (Murdock is) honest and took responsibility. I believe that is very important in a community when you say you own this. I respect that and respect you for standing up there.”
Situations such as this put council in an awkward position, said Coun. Heather Eby. Yet, she also appreciated that Murdock didn’t deflect blame for the project’s problems.
This request came to executive committee since it deals with such cases individually, she added. While it does set a precedent, since the extension is until May 31, and with the promise of an occupancy permit before that, she supported the request.
The next executive committee meeting is May 13.
