Williams Lake city council has directed staff to impose remedial action on a downtown property where fire destroyed a building in 2019 in a vote of three-to-two.
While city staff sets the process in motion, the owners of the former Diamonds and Dust Entertainment Lounge at the site, will be invited to attend a special meeting with council on Sept. 26 to discuss a remediation plan.
Under the community charter the owners will also have 14 days from receipt of the order to respond and may ask council to reconsider the remedial action requirements.
Staff entered the property on Aug. 31, 2023 to do a site inspection and told council during the regular meeting Tuesday, Sept. 12, the degradation of the fill that was placed at the property as a temporary solution is now a serious concern.
The footings of the Caribou Ski Source For Sports building are exposed adjacent to the vacant property and the city sidewalk and road are in danger of collapsing, said Reiner Nikolai, the city’s chief building official.
Chief administrative officer Gary Muraca said the owners came into city hall on Tuesday, Sept. 12 asking to meet.
“It was a very productive meeting,” he said.
Coun. Scott Nelson made a motion the item be deferred for two weeks so council could meet with the property owners before imposing the order.
Mayor Surinderpal Rathor voted in favour of deferring, while councillors Sheila Boehm, Jazmyn Lyons and Michael Moses voted against and defeated the motion.
Councillor Joan Flaspohler was absent from the meeting and Coun. Angie Delainey appeared by Zoom later because of a delayed flight.
Gary Deane, manager of planning and development, said it would be ideal to have the remediation completed before frost comes.
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