And how long after the appeal does the owner have? A couple years?

The B&B and the Northern Linen buildings sure were around for a long time. We always seem to have a burnt out building down town. Adds character.

That's what happens with insurance companies, they just wants to throw the screws to you when your down. Do they really pay out 100% of the policy. Nope they try to find every excuse and try to chisel you down.

Unless you have the money to bring it down and rebuild and fight the insurance companies, it is going to be ugly for a long time.

Here we go again.. "The city hired an engineer who deemed the structure a nuisance and unsafe". The derelicts on third could have told them this for FREE. I thought we had engineers on staff. Guess they were all working on River road.

If the city really cared, they would buy these burnt out buildings in our city core and tear them down and build something decent...I can't believe the mantality of our City...Buildings burn in Van and they are gone fairly quickly...gas town for example. I think these fires should be the push the city needs to clean up this sad place we call downtown.

Gotta feel for the owner. He looses his business. His emploees are out of work. Has to contend with the insurance company and now has the city on his case. Great the city spent the money to get an engineering report to confirm what everyone already knew. The city's actions will certainly encourage the owner to rebuild. Hats off to our councillors and the staff at ciry hall. Keep up the fine work.

7 days? 2 days to appeal?

...hmm...too bad we can't do that to our administration! (declare PG roads unsafe & a nuisance and send each of them a bill!!!)

Posted by: robichal on September 6 2008 8:53 AM
If the city really cared, they would buy these burnt out buildings in our city core and tear them down and build something decent...I can't believe the mantality of our City...Buildings burn in Van and they are gone fairly quickly...gas town for example. I think these fires should be the push the city needs to clean up this sad place we call downtown.
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Robichal

Who exactly do you think you are to suggest the city buy these buildings?
Are you a person with unlimited wealth that can afford to throw your personal dollars at anything that pops up?

You seriously need to rethink your position on this statement of yours.
It is absolutely rediculous to even think the taxpayers should pay for any of it.

My god where do these people come from.

What about that gaping hole across from the courthouse? Why is that acceptable?

Lostfaith, I agree with you. The city should give the owner a certain amount of time to rebuild. If that doesn't happen the city expropriates the lot and adds it to its inventory of other lots which it has already.

The city should also condemn some of the industrial hovels on the railroad side of 1st Avenue and require the owners to repair them or else have them torn down before they collapse and fall on somebody.

Heritage charcoal?

who gets to pay for the engineer? the proporety owner???

Hey guys! Seems the City had the bucks to buy the old Regina Hotel. Still owns the site. And had the the bucks to pay for underground parking to make John Major's Chances building more saleable. Seems like there is no problem if you are mayor or council friendly.

Ya, why would the taxpayer be on the hook for an engineer to say the building should come down?
Whoever owns this building and their insurance company should be responsible for it. Not the taxpayer.

Is it not just common sense to think the burned Columbus hotel would have to be removed? Why would you leave it standing, regardless if it was a nuisance or unsafe? It's an ugly burned out building where people died. They claim to know why it burned, so give the owner the insurance money, take the building down and move on.

lostfaith, you sure did take my "opinion" personally didn't you? It's my opinion, I'm entitled to it whether you think it's wrong or not - who do you think YOU are?

Robichal
Who do I think I am?
I am a taxpayer that is sick and tired of people like you that think my tax dollars can be used for whatever they see fit.
Obviously you could care less where your tax dollars are spent. I work my ass off for my money and when I get taxed to death from every level of govt in this country my money had better not be wasted on crap like you have suggested above. The city of PG does not own the buildings in the downtown that are used for peoples personal business's. It is not the responsibility of the taxpayers to pay for anything related to these POS buildings downtown or anywhere in this city for that matter. These buildings belong to people like you and your neighbour and its you and your neighbour that can pay for your own damn building problems.
Thats my opinion and I'm entitled to it as you are entitled to yours. Never said you were not entitled to your opinion, however your opinion regarding this subject is one of the things wrong with society these days. You think my money is your money.

Ok, enough is enough lostfaith! I work my ass off too and I would like to see WHERE my tax money is going and I don't see much of that! WTF is your problem! It's my friggin' opinion - it's not like it's going to happen so take a pill and calm down! What does my neighbour have to do w/ it???? I don't think your money is my money, what a ridiculous thing to say. I didn't say you weren't entitled to your opinion, you are, as I am, but you don't need to be abusive about it. What is the matter w/ you!!!????

Calm down? your the one using exclamation marks, lol.
Your opinion is saying it's ok for the city to use my money to buy private buildings because you think thats what should be done.
Don't you see anything wrong with that idea?

Why do you think (in your opinion) it's a good idea that my tax dollars should be paid to people to buy their burnt out buildings?
Remember these buildings are owned by private citizens, you know, people like you or your neighbours. The city doesn't own them and has no responsibility for them nor should they. Are you willing to use your money alone to buy them. If so thats nice of you. Then you would be the owner and could do what you wanted to with them.
Taxpayers dollars have no business being used in the way you have suggested they should be.
Do you think that taxpayers dollars come from a bottomless pit? If you do then you should run for office because way to often most politicians think the money pit is bottomless as well.

I'm with you on that one lostfaith!! Our tax dollars, that go into the sewer because of robichal's and many others kind of thinking, just blows my mind.

Is this the result of too much acid in the late sixties???

Better get it under control!! I think the folks of this city have had near enough of the crap, that this incompetent city council has delivered!! Can anyone spell "POTHOLE" Do any of these meat heads read these sights, to get a report card on their performance! They have failed us miserably!!!

One more thing, we don't have to give these morons pensions when we bounce them out on their sorry asses do we??? I know we do at the provincial, and federal leval!!

Lostfaith:
I just think that something drastic needs to be done - it should not be legal to have burnt out buildings all over downtown, for the owners of these buildings to take however long they want to fix this problem. I just wonder how the nice cities of BC (about the same size as PG) do it? I bet my last dollar that Kamloops, Nanaimo spend tax dollars on their downtown. My point is, we are never going to have decent town until our City decides to spend on it instead of spending money on studies after study. Perhaps there is no solution?

The building owners need to be brought before city council to explain why they are foot dragging.
The city does have the option of notifying the owners to get the work done and if it doesn't then the city can do it and bill the owner. I have no problem with spending taxdollars in the downtown. Just not to the benefit of the building owners. They can pay their own bill.

I'm sure other cities have purchased land/buildings to lease or to sell. The City does or used to own property throughout the city (property the Gaming Centre is on, lots that are being developed into subdivisions and townhomes). Even some of the parking lots are City owned. The suggestion of the City buying up these properties is not a bad idea at all. Its a start to revitalization, an empty lot would be cheaper for the City to buy than a lot with an existing building on it.

The taxpayers can't afford it Rounder.