The interior of Penticton91裸聊视频檚 infamous Highland Motel appears to live up to the notoriety from the exterior.
The building 91裸聊视频� now tagged with spraypaint, boarded up and blocked off with a barricade at its driveway 91裸聊视频� was, less than a month ago, the home to over a dozen of Penticton91裸聊视频檚 most vulnerable people.
But the motel was recently sold, and residents were given until June 30 to move out so the new owners could tear down the structure to put up townhomes. On moving day, a fire, deemed suspicious by authorities, , making the displacement of the motel91裸聊视频檚 residents all the more notable and dramatic.
Related:
One non-profit operator explained those most downtrodden in society often face greater difficulties asking landlords to conduct repairs, call exterminators or deal with rot.
91裸聊视频淚f you move into a new place and that91裸聊视频檚 been your experience and something starts to not function, anymore, they need to be encouraged to say something so that something can be done to repair it, so it doesn91裸聊视频檛 get out of control,91裸聊视频� said South Okanagan Similkameen Brain Injury Society executive director Linda Sankey.
91裸聊视频淎 landlord has an obligation if you include something in the rent, that they must maintain it during the time of the tenancy.91裸聊视频�
An environmental study conducted by Chase Valley confirms what those on the outside might already suspect. Mould, rodent feces, lead and asbestos all contaminate the building, according to the report, provided to the Western News by the property91裸聊视频檚 new owners.
At the head of the new land title for 1140 Burnaby Ave. is Azura Management (Kelowna) Corp., one of two companies behind Sendero Canyon.
91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 astounding what people were living in,91裸聊视频� Azura president Ewen Stewart said of the Highland. 91裸聊视频淭he thing91裸聊视频檚 pretty ugly inside. Let91裸聊视频檚 put it this way: unfit for human habitation. The guy I sent over there is afraid to go in.91裸聊视频�
The report from Chase Valley Environmental also spoke to the severe condition of the building, noting hazardous materials of nearly every category present in the structure to some degree.
91裸聊视频淭here was an extraordinary amount of rodent excrement present and the smell of rodent urine was overwhelming in some rooms,91裸聊视频� Chase Valley inspector Kate McInnes wrote in the report.
Sankey said staff at SOSBIS dealing with residents of the Highland weren91裸聊视频檛 able to go into some of the suites, because of concerns for their safety.
91裸聊视频淥ne suite I went into, the mould crawled up from the height of the floor to probably the three-and-a-half or four-foot mark,91裸聊视频� she said. 91裸聊视频淚t just was never remediated, ever, and people continued to live in it like that, even all these years later.91裸聊视频�
On the land title obtained by the Western News, the Highland motel91裸聊视频檚 property is valued at $1.05 million. Stewart confirmed that was what he paid for the spot.
According to B.C. Assessment, the value comes, unsurprisingly, almost entirely from the land the motel sits on, a prime piece of real estate minutes from downtown and the waterfront.
Stewart said he91裸聊视频檚 planning to buy the neighbouring property, an R.V. park the current owner has operated for nearly 50 years 91裸聊视频� currently listed on B.C. Assessment at a value of $2.1 million 91裸聊视频� once the current camping season runs up.
91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檓 trying to nuke (the Highland) as quickly as possible, since it91裸聊视频檚 a total hazard position,91裸聊视频� he said.
City planner Blake Laven said he hasn91裸聊视频檛 seen a demo permit application come in, but said he has been working with Stewart in the process.
Stewart said he expected to have bids on the environmental abatement contract at the Highland by the end of last week, but Laven wouldn91裸聊视频檛 speculate on how long it would take from there to tear the building down.
The abatement process will need to safely remove, most notably, asbestos found in two rooms and lead paint found in two rooms.
Stewart plans to consolidate the properties and build rows of high-end townhomes 91裸聊视频� 35 units up for ownership 91裸聊视频� to add some densification in the area surrounding Penticton91裸聊视频檚 downtown core.
91裸聊视频淭he downtown, the way the city is envisioning it and increasing the density downtown, I think that91裸聊视频檚 a good thing,91裸聊视频� he said, noting this will be Azura91裸聊视频檚 second project in Penticton, following Sendero Canyon.
But while Stewart jumps through a few extra hoops to ensure hazardous materials are removed safely, those who lived in the building are facing the most difficulties moving forward.
Related:
In a market with a narrow scope of rentals, even for those who can afford market value, it91裸聊视频檚 a struggle to find stable housing for the low-income residents 91裸聊视频� a recent report to council noted a deficiency of 230 affordable rental units in Penticton.
91裸聊视频淚t was a real tough time in the summer, because in the tourist season, there91裸聊视频檚 almost nothing to rent that usually would meet the need to fill that temporary gap,91裸聊视频� Sankey said.
Beyond a near-zero vacancy rate, Sankey said those who are in a position of needing low-income housing frequently lack the proper documents to fill out forms, or sometimes the organizational skills to obtain proper housing.
91裸聊视频淭he process here can be fairly lengthy, depending on which step they need to have help with at the beginning, so that they have all the foundation below them so they can apply for housing,91裸聊视频� she said. 91裸聊视频淪ometimes it includes some education to that person, as well, about what their rights and responsibilities as a tenant are.91裸聊视频�
All of those displaced from the Highland have found at least short-term housing, according to Sankey, though that includes many being put up in a non-permanent shelter, such as Compass House.
The low vacancy rate in Penticton has also meant some have had to move to smaller communities around Penticton to find housing.
91裸聊视频淗aving to leave the city limits to find housing is a reality for a lot of people that are trying to be living in Penticton, whether you91裸聊视频檙e from the Highland or somewhere else,91裸聊视频� Sankey said.
But those coming from the Highland have a unique struggle when it comes to putting a roof over their heads: the reputation of the name 91裸聊视频淗ighland Motel91裸聊视频� will often precede them if they include it in their applications for rentals.
91裸聊视频淎 lot of landlords were going, 91裸聊视频榦h, if you91裸聊视频檝e come from the Highland, well, we don91裸聊视频檛 even want to even entertain a conversation with you. People were hanging up on them,91裸聊视频� she added. 91裸聊视频淛ust trying to find a new strategy to even begin a conversation, not to hide it, but just to allow a conversation to begin before they were hung up on.91裸聊视频�
dustin.godfrey@pentictonwesternnews.com
Like us on and follow us on .
