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City plans to tackle ‘demolition by neglect’ Laura Mueller
laura.mueller@metroland.com
Laura Mueller/Metroland
After decades of neglect, a former girls school at 287 Cumberland St. in Lowertown had to be reinforced last week when it became clear it was at imminent risk of collapse. The issue is highlighting a need for the city to address demolition by neglect. ship between Groupe Claude Lauzon and the city. The city ordered barricades be put up to keep pedestrians and traffic away from the building in case it fell down. A press release was issued and emphasized that Groupe Claude Lauzon would be charged for the cost associated with the barricades – a couple thousand dollars at an absolute minimum – and that the company would have to follow the proper process to get the necessary permit to demolish a designated heritage building. Days later, Lauzon issued a press release through the company’s lawyer.
“According to (law firm) Vincent Dagenais Gibson, since 1981, Groupe Claude Lauzon Ltée has been dealing with the city to restore the school, but has faced unfair obstacles at each step,” the statement reads. The Lauzon family cancelled an interview with the EMC scheduled before the collapse and did not return subsequent phone calls. The press release outlines the back-and-forth: Lauzon requested a building permit in 1996 to restore the school, but the city denied the request. The company was locked in a legal battle with the city for six
years City planning manager John Smit said the city issued a building permit for the 1996 application, but it was rescinded when Lauzon’s contractor did exterior work beyond what was allowed. The permit was re-issued after the court settlement, but the company never picked it up. By the time a settlement was reached, the roof and floor framing had collapsed. Lauzon asked the city for permission to tear it down. It’s no excuse, Fleury said. It is not exactly a surprise that property owners such as the Lauzons would want to demolish a building after leaving
it to crumble with no upkeep for decades, he said. “If they’re not interested to upkeep the properties, don’t buy heritage property,” Fleury said. These situations could be prevented if the city strengthened and enforced its bylaw outlining the level of upkeep necessary for vacant buildings, Fleury said. “That’s not the city we want to build,” he added. Finally, that’s in the works. City staff is drafting a proposal that would have tighter wording, allowing the city to enforce property standards above the very minimum. Staff is
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EMC news - Even before an engineers report revealed a former girls school on Cumberland Street was at imminent risk of collapse, Coun. Mathieu Fleury and the mayor’s office were working to prevent similar hazards. The vacant heritage building at the corner of Murray and Cumberland streets stands as a monument of something local heritage advocates have long railed against: demolition by neglect. Poster-covered hoarding around the building obscure the graffiti and paint-covered walls. Right in the downtown core, where property values and condo development have reached a fever pitch, the site remained suspended in time, slowing fading and becoming more derelict. It’s one of an estimated 100 properties in a similar state across the city. About 15 of them are considered “problematic,” several of which are located in Fleury’s RideauVanier ward. It’s a sore spot for Lowertown residents, so Fleury reached out the Groupe Claude Lauzon, which counts the school at 287 Cumberland St. in its portfolio of properties. For months, Fleury and Mayor Jim Watson have been discussing options for Lauzon’s vacant properties, including 287 Cumberland St. There was finally a glimmer of willingness to address the derelict state of the school, but then, on Feb. 1, an engineering report commissioned by Lauzon revealed the building was at imminent risk of collapse. That set off the latest chapter in the troubled relation-
10 Ottawa West EMC - Thursday, February 14, 2013
looking to places like Hamilton, Kingston and Toronto for direction particularly regarding upkeep of vacant heritage buildings, which make up half the approximately 100 vacant properties in Ottawa. A proposal will come forward in the coming weeks or months, Fleury said. “We don’t understand why elsewhere in the province, you can go into cities and you can see the site is vacant, but it doesn’t appear to be as vacant as it does here in Ottawa,” Fleury said. It’s a big issue for residents in Sandy Hill, so when community association Christopher Collmorgen caught wind of the proposed changes to property standards, he sent an email to Action Sandy Hill members. “The city has historically refused to enforce its own Bylaws on vacant and derelict properties, resulting in a sanctioned double standard that has allowed vacant and run-down properties to fester between well-cared for properties,” Collmorgen wrote. “It appears that the City of Ottawa is finally recognizing that it has an obligation to enforce the property standards bylaw on vacant properties!” Enforcement has been a tricky thing in Ottawa. The wording of the bylaw has led to bylaw officers enforcing only the bare minimum, Fleury said. “To be honest, we haven’t done our job there,” he said. “We’re going to clamp down and modify property standards and expect staff to really clamp down.” The city doesn’t want to see any properties in the core vacant, Fleury said, but if they are vacant, they must be kept to a good standard. “A lot of these properties don’t have roofs, don’t have windows. People access in and out and do drugs in there,” he said. “They are not just eyesores. They become an area for crime.” When it comes to encouraging redevelopment of vacant sites, Fleury said everyone involved needs to come to the table. “There won’t be one element that will solve all issues,” he said. “It’s a combination of multiple angles that will bring the owners to the table, bring the community to the table and actually talk about solutions.” All sites have restrictions, whether it’s a heritage designation or simply zoning rules. It shouldn’t matter whether the blame should rest with the city because its rules are too restrictive, or with the property owner because they are unwilling to work within the parameters of the site they bought, Fleury said. There needs to be a proposal on the table to open a dialog between the city and the developer. “Put a proposal together and let’s have a discussion,” Fleury said.