Property owner Blair Zopf has received another two-month extension to clean up his property at 1008 Alder Avenue even though what he really wanted was an extension to October.
Zopf initially appeared before city council on March 8 to appeal his property maintenance order and was given until April 8 to submit an engineering report about the home on his property. He also had until May 15 to complete the work.
He began some clean-up work and submitted a report from a structural engineer on April 6, which said there were no concerns with the house’s structural integrity. According to a city council report, he also obtained demolition permits and removed a set of stairs, a deck, and a detached garage.
“The completion of this work alleviates the greatest safety concerns on the property,” the report said.
Meanwhile, there are still six issues Zopf must address, such as protecting the exterior wood siding and sheathing, replacing rotted exterior frames and doors, and repairing eavestroughs.
Zopf explained in a letter to council that he would not complete every requirement by May 15 due to contractors’ schedule, the weather, and the availability of supplies — some difficult to obtain due to the pandemic — and so asked for a deadline of Oct. 1.
During the May 10 regular council meeting, council voted 6-1 to give Zopf an extension to Thursday, July 15, as recommended by city administration.
Coun. Kim Robinson was opposed.
Presentation
Zopf gave a virtual presentation to council and discussed his progress to clean up his property and fulfill the maintenance order. He explained that exterior painters have not been able to start since the evenings have been too cool for the paint to dry properly. However, he expects those contractors to start soon since the weather is improving.
Meanwhile, Zopf’s general contractor hopes to start building a new porch soon, while a quote is needed to replace shingles damaged during a January windstorm.
“I’m working hard on it and I’m not sitting around … ,” added Zopf. “I have more to do. I’ll keep working on it until I get the contractors in there.”
Council discussion
Based on what Zopf has done and how he’s addressed most safety concerns, council should give him an extension to Oct. 1, said Robinson, who then introduced a motion to that effect.
The reason city hall recommended the July 15 deadline is because Zopf has complied with most of the clean-up order and addressed concerns, explained building official Lisa Eritz. However, city hall wanted a firm completion date to ensure this didn’t continue indefinitely or face problems in October.
“Based on that (explanation), I think October is pushing a bit too far out,” said Coun. Heather Eby. “If it came to July and he was still having trouble getting building materials and contractors, we could extend again. But if we leave it to October, it’s weather (issues).”
Coun. Jamey Logan had no problem giving Zopf more extensions if necessary, particularly if the issues don’t relate to procuring materials since such items can be found locally. Besides, Logan added, Zopf should complete “a good chunk” of the outstanding issues by July.
Zopf will likely know by the end of June whether he needs an extension, said Michelle Sanson, director of planning and development. If that occurs, this issue will come back to council for approval in July.
Coun. Doug Blanc was torn with how long of an extension to give, since an October deadline was too long while July wasn’t long enough. Instead, Blanc thought an Aug. 15 deadline would be sufficient.
Council then voted 5-2 against giving an extension to Oct. 1; Robinson and Blanc were in favour while the rest of council was opposed.
The next regular council meeting is Tuesday, May 25.
