Resident concerned not all nuisance properties treated equally

A south end property labelled as a nuisance property by city council has left a city watchdog wondering if all properties are treated fairly.

Nanaimo council voted last week to declare 540 Haliburton Street, formerly the Columbus Hotel, a nuisance property because over the past two years Nanaimo RCMP were called to the location 49 times to resolve problems and disturbances.

Fred Taylor argues that the Balmoral Hotel, at 126 Haliburton St., received 50 calls to the RCMP last year alone, but has escaped the nuisance designation.

The Balmoral is a supported housing project owned and operated by the Canadian Mental Health Association. Vancouver Island Health Authority has a health centre in the building which offer homeless outreach support and community treatment teams.

The association also runs a meal program out of the building's café, and there is a provincial income assistance office at the location.

Owners of the former Columbus Hotel rent rooms as private residences and the site is known to attract prostitution and drug users at all hours.

"To me it should be worse if there are more calls to a supervised place. It's a greater concern because it makes me wonder if it's being supervised correctly," said Taylor.

The RCMP, however, say a high number of calls does not necessarily qualify a property to be a nuisance property.

In a letter to city council, Nanaimo RCMP Supt. Norm McPhail said recommendations to deem property a nuisance involves a great deal of analysis and discussion with the city's Nuisance Property Committee and  any decision to refer any property to council for nuisance designation is evaluated on a case-by case basis.

"We take reasonable steps to work with property owners to ameliorate issues, evict problem tenants, recommend physical and environmental changes and improve management strategies," wrote McPhail, adding significant discussions were held with the owner of 540 Haliburton St., but disturbances continue.

According to RCMP files, there were 532 calls for police in total on Haliburton Street  from January 2011 to November 2011.

"Regardless of the nature of a call [or] investigation for police, each one is an expense to the taxpayer," said Taylor.

McPhail noted that the benefits of the services provided by the Balmoral offset police calls for disturbances, and that the site is working within its Good Neighbour Agreement with the South End Neighbourhood Association.

"Is it reasonable to expect higher calls for police service to this location? Yes, absolutely," wrote McPhail. "The police would be much busier if these services were not available."

Properties are designated as nuisance properties when there is believed to be a "significant public safety concern" or ongoing problems "diminish the quality of life, peace and enjoyment of neighbours." Property owners given a nuisance property designation must pay for police or bylaw services for each call to the address.

reporter2@nanaimobulletin.com