A last-minute plea by the owner of a Port Moody house that was heavily damaged by a fire in 2016 that killed a mother of six children wasn’t enough to sway city council from its resolve to remove the scar that continues to traumatize neighbours.
Tuesday, councillors approved a formal remedial action order against Morgan Crest Development Corp. of Surrey to tear down the house in the 3300 block of Dewdney Trunk Road within 30 days, or plead its case for reconsideration of the order within 14 days.
In a call-in submission, company principal Arian Soheili tried to do just that.
He told councillors the building has already been gutted of fixtures, wiring and plumbing, but the COVID-19 pandemic has made it difficult to complete the permitting process so the project to renovate the home and add a secondary suite can move forward.
“We have met with all the requirements,” Soheili said.
Port Moody’s manager of building, bylaw and licensing, Robyn MacLeod, told council the property has gone through several owners since police wrapped up their investigation into the fire that resulted in a man being charged and ultimately convicted of second-degree murder. She said Soheili had acquired the home as part of a planned assembly for a larger development project but abandoned that idea last November and he now intended to fix it up as a rental property.
In a report to council, Port Moody’s senior bylaw enforcement officer, Patrik Kolby, said repeated attempts to get the owner to repair the damaged home had resulted in two fines being issued under the city’s unsightly premise bylaw, in January 2018 and another in March, 2019. Neither has been paid.
That angered Port Moody Mayor Rob Vagramov.
“I wish we could move faster on this,” he said. “I’m happy to see this thing go yesterday.”
Coun. Steve Milani said as long as the home is left standing in its charred state, it serves as a reminder of the tragedy.
“The sooner this site can be dealt with, the sooner the family and community as a whole can move forward,” he said.
Coun. Zoe Royer agreed, saying she couldn’t fathom any further delays.
Soheili now has 30 days to demolish the home or demonstrate he’s done substantial work to repair its exterior. If the city’s not satisfied he’s complied, it could tear down the house and send him the bill.
