CITY COULD DEMOLISH GROW-OPS

Homeowners who leave former grow-ops to languish could see their
houses torn down as part of a new approach by the city to deal with
derelict buildings.

Working with Calgary police, fire, by-law and Alberta Health Services,
city officials are now pushing the owners of homes formerly used as
grow-ops to return them to a livable state as fast as possible, said
Cliff de Jong, senior special projects manager with the city's
building development,

"All the different pieces of legislation we all operate under, we're
trying to make sure we have a co-ordinated approach that can actually,
not only bust these things, but you can get remediation or resolve it
through removal of the actual structure at the end of the day and do
it relatively timely," he said.

"The ultimate goal is we want to bring these structures, especially
the new ones, to a safe state and have them occupied again.

"The targets here are new houses in new, developing
communities."

Several steps have to be taken after police bust a marijuana grow-op
in a home before anyone can live there again.

"We require an Environmental Restoration Permit so that's everything
from electrical to heating and ventilation and they have to get an
indoor air quality test," said de Jong.

But that can be an expensive process some homeowners can't afford to
do.

"That's where we run into the, it's vacant now and can become
derelict," said de Jong.

"That's where we are going to have to start using the powers under all
the separate pieces of legislation to require them to either remediate
it or get rid of the problem.

"And getting rid of the problem might be us demolishing the
structure."

Marlborough Park Block Watch president Mary Ryan applauded the
increased efforts by the city but said more has to be done to
communicate with residents about how they can get involved in keeping
grow-ops out of their neighbourhoods.

"I really wish they would get in touch with Block Watch on this and I
don't just mean me, I'm talking about everybody," she said.

"One of the things that needs to get co-ordinated is letting the
community members know when they think there's a problem.

"There are people on every block in Calgary that absolutely know, oh
that basement's been moulded out for year or they've got 45 people
living in that house or whatever.

"Those people don't know who to call or what to say."