Kelowna

People renting a four-plex on a farm in Glenmore will have to find a new place to live after the city deemed the dwelling to be illegal.

Photo: Contributed - Google Street View

The owners appeared before City Council Monday asking that the rental unit be allowed to remain as is until such time as the property could be converted to agricultural use.

City environment and land use manager, Todd Cashin told council the former owners had applied for, and were granted, permission to move a second dwelling onto the property for farm help.

"A secondary suite was later permitted within the dwelling to accommodate additional farm help," stated Cashin.

"In 1993 a public complaint was lodged that the farm help dwelling located near Valley Road had been converted to a four-plex and was being rented. Bylaw enforcement investigated and learned the house had been converted to a four-plex and that none of the units were being inhabited by farm workers as per the agreement by the city and the landowner."

Cashin further stated a four-plex rental unit is not a permitted use within the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR). 

The current owners purchased the property in 2004 and told council they were assured at the time the property had been grandfathered as a rental.

They also stated they have spent close to $1M to make the property livable but had not made any changes to the buildings on the property.

They asked the city to give them time so they could have the property converted to an orchard within a couple of years.

"It is quite regrettable that the purchaser did get caught up in something when they purchased it (property) and didn't have the benefit of perhaps the full knowledge of what the situation was," says Councillor Gail Given.

"However, I think the very best way for us to move forward is for us to enter into a compliance agreement and bring things into compliance. There is no way we can endorse a four unit rental on ALR."

Council agreed unanimously.