Eyesore motel blasted by Kelowna city council

KELOWNA – A boarded up motel on Harvey Avenue is getting some negative attention from Kelowna city council for its shabby appearance.

The derelict Ponderosa Motel sits just east of Parkinson Recreation Centre at 1864 Harvey Ave.

Coun. Robert Hobson says the motel, which closed in 2011, has become an eyesore.

“It is incredibly ugly,” he says. “If any building fits our definition of a derelict property that’s got to be it.”

Among the most glaring offences are the tall weeds and crumbling sign, urban planning manager Ryan Smith says. The building also needs to be examined by the fire department to address any fire hazards the wood structures might pose.

“We’ll meet with the property owner and have some discussions to see if some improvements can be made voluntarily,” Smith says. “If not, there are some tools at our disposal within the fire code, the community charter and the building code.”

He says city staff plan to meet with the owner, Albert Weisstock of Witmar Holdings, sometime in the next couple weeks.

“They could face potential fines or the city could go in and do a cleanup and then bill the property owner,” Smith says. “Our preference is obviously to work with the property owner to get some improvement on the property before we get heavy handed.”

City records show a building on the east side of the property was demolished in 2012 and utilities were cancelled by the owner at the end of 2011.

To contact the reporter for this story, email Adam Proskiw at aproskiw@infotelnews.ca or call 250-718-0428. To contact the editor, email mjones@infotelnews.ca or call 250-718-2724.