Pubdate: Fri, 06 May 2005 Source: Chilliwack Times (CN BC) Copyright: 2005 Chilliwack Times Contact: http://www.chilliwacktimes.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1357 Author: Mike Chouinard Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine) NEIGHBOURS TRYING TO RECLAIM THEIR STREET One Battle Might Be Over But It Seems The War For Wellington Might Be A Long One In early April the city gave the landlord of the property in the 45700 block of Wellington Avenue a month to clean up after approximately 40 neighbours filed a petition complaining about old vehicles, kitchen appliances and junk piling up in the yard. The deadline was this week, and while much of the mess disappeared, there is still concern about the revolving door of problem tenants. One man who lives in the neighbourhood told the Times the real problem with a couple of rental homes in the area is the landlords, themselves, who seem unwilling or unable to get rid of tenants. "The people that are in there right now are squatters," he said. "The people that are living there are people that have slipped through the cracks." The man spoke to the newspaper on condition his identity not be revealed for reasons of safety. The issue at the Wellington property and another one nearby on Robson goes beyond messy yards. Some in the neighbourhood worry about the presence of drugs such as crystal meth, thieving rings, even gangs taking root. The resident said often the properties are quiet during the day but in the evening, 'zombies' can be seen coming around, sometimes with goods in hand. At the hearing in April, the landlord said he was having problems getting rid of the tenants who owed rent. Mayor Clint Hames responded he could try to recover his costs on unpaid rent without passing on the problem to the city. "I'd just as soon you solve this through arbitration," Hames said at the time. Recently, the city has been cracking down on grow-ops. On Monday city council placed notices on the title of a property in the 45800 block of Wellington and one at Cultus Lake Road. The notices point out the sites are not safe and cannot be inhabited without being fixed. Council also called show cause hearings for several similar properties to be held on May 16. While these actions might affect homes used to produce drugs, the resident who lives near the Wellington and Robson properties knows the homes used to sell and distribute narcotics are another matter. For this, the police must be brought in. The resident said the city and police have been helpful, and it's time for others in the neighbourhood to take action by notifying the police about suspicious activities. "They're just not getting enough information," he said. "The police need a break here. People need to warm up to the police a little. The police are on our side." - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin