Pubdate: Sat, 29 Sep 2012 Source: Ottawa Citizen (CN ON) Copyright: 2012 The Ottawa Citizen Contact: http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/letters.html Website: http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/326 Author: Neco Cockburn Page: E5 FENCING SUGGESTED FOR FORMER GROW-OPS City staff say properties pose risks Former marijuana grow-ops should be surrounded by a fence - not just boarded up - until the building is fixed up and made safe, say city staff looking to formalize rules around how the potentially dangerous properties are treated. The recommendation has caused a mixed reaction from residents living near dismantled grow-ops. Some say fencing would keep intruders away from the vacant building and make the surrounding area safer, while others are concerned about the appearance of a 1.8-metre-high security fence and its potential effect on property values, says a staff report. It's part of a city strategy aimed at making the properties safer and ensuring owners rehabilitate them. That would be accomplished through a bylaw and issuing orders to have the building remediated before anyone lives there, and the threat of fines for not following orders or doing the work properly. A notice would also be placed on a title until the building was fixed. Staff say they recognize temporary fencing doesn't look good, but the alternative is to have a building boarded up to protect people from hazards. Fencing, they state, will ensure that the property is properly secured from vandals or vagrants who might cause further damage or start a fire, children and teenagers who want to hang out, former occupants looking to go back inside and workers who aren't aware of the hazards. Calgary, which has a similar rule, has found properties are remediated faster because owners want to avoid paying monthly rental fees for a temporary fence, according to staff. Such a fence typically costs $300 for installation and the first month's rent, the report says, and about $2.50 per linear metre each month after that. "It is expected that the installation of the fence will have a similar positive effect on remediation times in Ottawa, which will reduce the esthetic and market impact on the neighbourhood, while providing a high level of security to the property and community," says the report. It's to be discussed next Thursday at a meeting of council's agriculture and rural affairs committee. Up to now, buildings have been "secured" and if necessary, boarded up, with fencing required if the other measures aren't effective. Former grow houses and buildings can be dangerous because their foundations, walls and ventilation systems might be damaged by the grow activities, and proper hookups for water and electricity are often bypassed to conceal the operation or avoid paying excessive costs. Residual mould and chemicals can pose a health hazard if not cleaned up, and booby traps might exist. Under amendments to the Municipal Act, cities told of a grow-op by police were made responsible to inspect buildings and take steps to make them safe and protect the public. Since 2006, the city's building code services branch has run a pilot program of policies, but the report recommends a "service delivery model," fee structure, and bylaw setting out the rules and procedures for inspection and remediation, including the fencing requirement. The city has been notified by police about 129 properties over the past six years - about 22 a year, the report states. At end of August, 37 buildings were being remediated under the pilot program. Because of the amount of effort involved in making sure an owner does what he or she is supposed to do, or undertaking court action if an owner disappears or is jailed, the city is also looking to recover its costs, the report says. Staff propose a fee structure that, based on experiences so far, would be expected to see most owners of dismantled grow-op properties pay a basic fee of $3,500, the report states. About 10 per cent of owners are likely to decide to demolish the building and would be charged $1,300, it says, while another 10 per cent would pay the basic amount plus a building permit fee because of more extensive damage that needs repair. - --- MAP posted-by: Matt