DEMOLITION ORDER STILL IN EFFECT
Extension granted but demolition order remains in effect
But North Sydney woman given more time to clean up property.
A woman facing demolition of her North Sydney home, which was deemed a health and fire hazard, has been given more time to clean up the property but the demolition order remains in effect.
An earlier two-week extension had already been granted for 59 Campbell St.
The latest extension will expire by the end of March, at which point it will be visited by inspectors again.
Paul Burt, Cape Breton Regional Municipality manager of building, planning and licensing laws, said an inspection of the property was recently conducted.
“There has been significant work done in there,” he said. “
Councillors heard recently there had been enough progress in cleaning out the contents of the home to justify the initial extension.
A group of volunteers had come forward to assist the homeowner in cleaning out the property, mostly on weekends.
Burt said if homeowner Sylvia Dolomont does not comply with the order, the municipality will proceed with demolition.
The matter will not have to go back to council.
“We have issued the order, so it’s up to us to kind of work the order, so if she complies with the order then the file will be closed, if she doesn’t comply with the order then we’ll carry out what’s been ordered through council … which could be a demolition.”
In January, councillors rejected Dolomont’s appeal of the demolition order, which gave her 30 days to clean up the property. Burt noted the municipality received an initial complaint about the property dating back to 2008 and said the building was no longer weather tight and was structurally
unsound.
During the hearing on the appeal, Burt described the interior of the home as being piled high on both levels with debris that was mouldy and rotting and rodents were gaining access.
At the time, Dolomont took
issue with calling the home vacant, saying she visits it almost every day. Dolomont noted she has always been current on her property taxes, water bills and other penalties that have been assessed to the property, and the home has electricity.