St. Catharines is taking aim at vacant buildings in the city by passing a new by-law.
Council passed the 'Vacant Building Registry By-law' that aims to encourage property owners to not leave buildings empty for extended periods of time.
Traditionally the City has addressed issues associated with vacant buildings on a complaint-driven basis.
The new by-law requires owners to register their vacant buildings, which will trigger monitoring of the address.
“By keeping tabs on vacant buildings in the community we can address numerous issues. Vacant buildings are disproportionately more likely to be the site of a fire; can present several safety issues, especially if not properly closed off; and negatively impact property values if not well maintained,” said Chief Building Official John Lane, adding, “the by-law ensures structures in our community are regularly monitored to reduce risk to residents and ultimately urge property owners to fill unused buildings.”
Owners with vacant properties will be required to pay a $350 one-time administrative fee and $850 annual registration fee to cover the staff resources of enhanced monitoring.
Several building types and structures are exempt from the by-law including buildings under demolition or subject to building permits; non-residential farm buildings; government controlled properties; and buildings used on a seasonal basis.