CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. - The owner of a historic log house in downtown Charlottetown says he’s frustrated with City Hall and wants to demolish the building.
Ray Campbell had a tractor with a fork-lift parked outside the home at 15 Hillsborough St. Thursday evening for the purpose of taking out the windows.
Campbell said his ultimate goal was to demolish the home. He had the property up for sale, but the sale fell through and he can’t get any insurance on the home because of the condition it’s in.
Campbell’s original plan was to turn the home into a café but said he’s had to jump through hoops with City Hall.
Related: Charlottetown man abandons hopes of renovating city’s oldest log home and sells it
The venture became a costly one for him after he ripped the siding off the walls, exposing the old logs. Part of it had started to rot. The city wanted him to put siding back on, in the form of shingles, so Campbell turned to his lawyer in an attempt to demolish the structure and re-erect it at his home in York.
But everything was put on hold Thursday at 9:10 a.m. when the city issued a stop-work order.
Coun. Greg Rivard, chairman of the city’s planning and heritage committees, said if Campbell chooses to ignore the stop-work order he will be in violation of city rules. The home is located in Charlottetown’s historic 500 Lot area.
“We would be in a position to take legal action,’’ Rivard said. “This home is a heritage resource and we need to do everything we can to ensure it remains this way.’’
If the city pursued the matter in court, section 4.35 of the city’s zoning and development bylaw states that Campbell could be fined $5,000 for every day that the offence continues.
