Fate of City Centre Motel in judge's hands
By Kyra Hoggan
A B.C. Supreme Court judge has reserved ruling on a judicial review regarding the City of Castlegar’s order to have the City Centre Motel demolished.
The review, requested by the motel owner, began Wednesday and wrapped up Thursday, according to city director of development services Phil Markin, who was present for the proceedings at the Nelson court.
“It (a decision) may take a couple of weeks,” Markin said.
The site was declared unsafe and slated for demolition in mid-February, at which time city councillor and chair of development services committee Kirk Duff said the issue of this downtown property has been a long-standing one for the city.
“The whole building is full of mold and bacteria; main building supports are missing; there are gaping holes in the floor,” he said. “I do believe it’s been upwards of nine years that we’ve been dealing with that building for a variety of reasons – break-ins, squatters, etc.
“It’s an absolute disgrace.” The property owners challenged the decision, requesting a judicial review, and yet more legal battles ensued when the city sought an injunction to stop the owners from conducting work at the site; work for which no permit had been issued.
Castlegar mayor Lawrence Chernoff said he looks forward to having the matter settled, once and for all.
“We’re crossing our fingers, our toes, and everything else,” he said.
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