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Cassidy Inn owner plans to appeal demolition

NANAIMO – Regional District of Nanaimo anticipates request for extension of tear-down deadline.
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The Regional District of Nanaimo has designated the Cassidy Inn Hotel as a hazardous property.

An old pub, deemed dangerous by the Regional District of Nanaimo, won’t be demolished for the time being.

The regional district gave the Cassidy Inn Hotel a hazardous property designation at its May 24 board meeting and ordered owner Manno Pawar to demolish the 2954 Canyon Road-situated building by June 8, but Pawar will appeal, said Tom Armet, regional district building and bylaw services manager.

Pawar is anticipated to ask the board for reconsideration at its June 14 committee of the whole meeting, Armet said, and the board will have the options to confirm, modify or withdraw its decision.

The News Bulletin could not reach Pawar for comment.

If the board upholds its decision and Pawar still does not comply, the regional district could undertake demolition and bill Pawar, but it wouldn’t be immediate, said Alec McPherson, Cassidy-area regional district director.

“Even if ... nothing was happening, the RDN would have to go out and hire a haz-mat individual personally to go in and give an assessment of the place. Whether the tiles, wallboards or whatever have any asbestos material and things like that,” said McPherson.

After that, McPherson said the owner would be contacted again and if there was no reply, a contractor would have to be hired – a process that could take another week to two weeks.

At the May meeting, directors heard that the building had become dilapidated and while the site could also be sold, Armet said the real estate agent listing and selling the site would have to disclose any contraventions or orders against the property.

“It’s up to any prospective purchasers,” said Armet. “They can buy any property they want, even if it does have a notice on it, it’s up to them. They do it with risk, of course. They assume the risk.”

Kristine Chyplyk, a resident who lives near the property, said the building is not in good condition and has observed water running down from the roof, running between the walls and chunks of plaster falling off.

At this stage, Chyplyk said she thinks it needs to be demolished.

“People get sentimental about that stuff, but I wonder about those people, when the last time they were there for a drink, when it was still open,” said Chyplyk.



Karl Yu

About the Author: Karl Yu

After interning at Vancouver Metro free daily newspaper, I joined Black Press in 2010.
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