Building Standards and Property Maintenance
Building Standards and Property Maintenance
The Strategic Plan, guiding City Council in their decisions, contains an objective (4.1) to "ensure a positive image of the City" and more specifically the initiative (4.1.1) "to update bylaws to better address derelict and nuisance properties that are being poorly maintained".
Nuisance Properties:
The Property Maintenance Bylaw adopted on May 11, 2009 addresses concerns unrelated to the buildings on a property.
Vacant or Nuisance Buildings:
The Building Standards Bylaw was adopted on January 13, 2014 setting a new standard for building maintenance in the City of Port Alberni and introducing a new approach to regulating vacant buildings.
The main components of the Building Standards Bylaw:
- All buildings are to be maintained to standards as set out in the bylaw.
- Vacant buildings need to be maintained to standards as set out in the bylaw.
- Vacant buildings are required to obtain a Vacant Building Registration Permit.
- An application for a permit is available and a fee is charged for this permit.
Note that Vacant buildings must have a special safety inspection and are subject to monthly monitoring inspections. The City has the ability to issue tickets for non-compliance.