Solving Kelowna's vacant building problem will take work

If you walk around downtown Kelowna you may notice there are many empty businesses, derelict buildings and projects that have never been completed.

Many have wondered why these unsightly buildings have been left to sit empty and the answer is not as simple as it may seem.

City of Kelowna building and permit branch manager Doug Patan said the city does not currently have a bylaw in place to deal with these buildings. The City of West Kelowna recently passed a bylaw to deal with the city’s vacant and abandoned buildings with the plan to improve cosmetic economic and social development within the community.

West Kelowna’s bylaw requires owners to obtain a permit within 30 days of a building standing vacant and abandoned, provide proof of insurance of the property and secure and maintain the building to the standards set out in the bylaw. If the building is remediated or demolished within six months of the permit being issued, a portion of the fee would be reimbursed.

By implementing this bylaw, the city effectively has a smoother process to work with the ensure that vacant buildings do not pose a risk of fire or safety hazard. The City of Kelowna must deal with each individual case on a building by building basis.

Patan said the city has been working hard to remove buildings or projects that have become havens for homeless or transient people, but it takes a complaint for action to happen. Once a complaint comes into their office, city staff can then look into the problem and deal with the situation if necessary.

“These buildings would fall under the bylaw of a nuisance, then bylaw would be called to take this to council,” explained Patan. “We would then use the Local Government Act that would allow the municipality to take action. If it becomes a health and safety issue and then we can address council about the properties.”

City council will then decide if staff should proceed with enforcement and if so, staff will work with developers or building owners to rectify the problems. Patan said city council is always eager to remove vacant or derelict buildings in Kelowna, but the process can take time. But Patan said there has been a discussion about changing the current bylaws or introducing a bylaw to deal with the derelict buildings. It hasn’t come forward as of yet.

When it comes to empty eyesores along Bernard Avenue it’s a completely different story. These buildings are not sitting vacant and causing a hazard. Buildings such as the old Bargain, Bargain store are owned by someone and these owners have paid their bills and kept up with bylaws to ensure they are not a hazard.

According to Ryan Smith, community planning manager for the city, the owner of the Bargain, Bargain building has been actively trying to find a tenant for the building.

“It can sometimes be challenging because there are always constraints on parking and the owner thinks there is value in the structure that is there and would like to be able to keep it and have someone do a renovation inside.”

Smith said he continually hears about different parties that look at the space but find that it doesn’t work for their needs. To find an appropriate tenant for the building, it would have to be a large business, and that business would require parking to meet its customer’s needs.

But on the flipside, Smith said if the building were to be separated into different businesses it would then require four or five different tenants who would need to come together to ensure the insurance is appropriate, parking works for them and each business would be able to pay the mortgages.

The city is not allowed to provide financial assistance to these businesses and does not have the resources to become involved in finding tenants for the empty buildings. The city’s concern is health, safety and that bills are paid in full and on time. It is on the building owners to find tenants.

While the city cannot force the hand of building owners, they can deal with complaints against the buildings. If a vacant building in your area is becoming a problem or a hazard, residents are asked to contact city bylaw and report the issue.