The city is continuing its crackdown on problem properties, this time turning its sights on the Lombardy Mobile Home Park.
On Wednesday, city council will be asked to approve recommendations from the bylaw department to tear down 16 mobile homes in the Norwood Street park and to institute a property-wide clean up.
According to a staff report, the property has been the subject of 335 police-reported incidents between 2012 and 2014, with 142 of those in 2014 alone.
Since 2000, there have also been a deluge of complaints about various pads on the site, ranging from clutter and garbage, the presence of squatters, a kennel being used to raise pitbulls, fire-damaged trailers and the number of cats.
City staff have made numerous trips to the property since 2014 and met with owners about getting things put in order, but substantial progress was never made by city-set timelines.
A June 25 inspection completed by bylaw services, building inspection and the fire department resulted in stop-work orders being issued and the discovery of "several locations within the park that had excessive accumulation of combustibles and several others that were vacant and fire damaged buildings not properly secured."
The actions are being levelled against both the individual home owners, where applicable, as well as the mobile home park.
The Community Charter allows for a minimum of 30 days for property owners to respond to a council's remedial action order but also says the city can shorten that time period. If council goes ahead with staff's recommendations on Wednesday night, that time period will be slashed to three days because the conditions in the park pose "a safety risk to the community, particularly the neighbouring mobile homes within the park and adjacent properties," said the staff report.
The expectation is for cleanup work to be completed or to have it come back to council for reconsideration no later than July 20.
If the city has to contract out the demolition and clean up, all costs will be billed to the property owner. Any unpaid invoices will be tacked on their property taxes.
This is the fourth set of remedial actions to come before council in three consecutive meetings.
Last month, city council signed off on clean up for three properties - two in the downtown core and one residence.
