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Owner of dilapidated Indian Arm house put on notice

It’s nearly time for the wrecking ball to swing or the renovations to begin at a home precariously perched over the water near Indian Arm in the District of North Vancouver.
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It’s nearly time for the wrecking ball to swing or the renovations to begin at a home precariously perched over the water near Indian Arm in the District of North Vancouver.

Following a report from staff, district council unanimously voted that the house at 5748 Sunshine Falls Lane should be on the road to demolition or comprehensive repair by Sept. 3.

The vacant, dilapidated house has also come to the attention of the B.C. Ministry of Environment, with officials noting possible public danger and pollution, “should the building collapse into Burrard Inlet.”

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There are both safety and pollution concerns based on the possibility of the decrepit house plunging into the inlet. - photo supplied DNV

But with two weeks until that deadline, the owner, Chermijager Holdings Ltd., has yet to apply for a demolition permit, according to District of North Vancouver communications officer Courtenay Rannard.

If the owner does not provide structural, electrical and mechanical repair plans from a qualified engineer in the next two weeks, the owner will be obligated to demolish and remove the building before restoring the property to a “neat and tidy condition,” according to a district staff report.

If the owner fails to act, the district may complete the work and bill the owner, possibly through property taxes.

Following several complaints from neighbouring property owners in the area north of Quarry Rock and south of Brighton Beach, the district sent a letter to the owner of the house on Jan. 23.

But despite assurances from a man representing the owner that the district’s concerns would be addressed, “nothing has happened and we have not heard from him since,” according to the district staff report.