The owners of a house facing a demolition order from the District of West Vancouver because it was built entirely without permits will have a chance to plead their case before council.
Council voted unanimously July 21 to give the owners 30 days to apply for a demolition permit and 60 days to have the accessory building, which was hidden from view by a much larger home at the front of the Chartwell Crescent property, removed.
Because the approximately 1,500-square foot building was largely complete, there was no way for inspectors to determine if there were any latent safety risks or code violations that had been covered over and, therefor, the building was deemed to be a hazard, district staff said at that meeting.
The owners, which a staff report listed as Omid Gerami, Kamran Gerami, Naib Gerami and Ayesheh Mansouri, did not appear at the July 21 meeting and did not send anyone to represent them as council made their decision.
In an update on Monday, municipal spokesperson Carrie Gadsby said the owners contacted the district on Aug. 20, just before first deadline, seeking reconsideration of council’s decision.
No date has been set for their appearance at council but they will be given at least 10 minutes to make their case.
The owners are currently suing the contractor who built the structure, alleging he was responsible for the lack of permits, however district staff say the bylaw puts the onus on the property’s owners.
