CALGARY HOMEOWNERS CONFRONTED WITH NEIGHBOUR NIGHTMARES:

FORMER MARIJUANA GROW OPS

It was not long after the marijuana grow operation adjacent to her
Temple home was busted in 2009 that Barb Balfour faced a different
kind of problem.

The bungalow next door was now uninhabitable, facing a slew of mould,
algae and chemical residue issues, along with a tampered electrical
system. But that didn't stop vagrants from propping open the garage
door and using the property as a place to party.

When the temperature dropped, they lit fires to keep warm, and Balfour
found the charred remains of flyers and small pieces of wood. So
worried was she about the threat of a blaze, the woman increased the
insurance on her own home.

"At night time, you didn't know how many were coming in there," she
said Sunday, noting the problem didn't end until the property was
finally boarded up.

"But you knew, based on the number of beer cans and how high and
crooked the door was, how many were living there. That was troubling."

This former grow op home is one of dozens in the city sitting vacant
and unremediated for lengthy periods of time. Authorities say many
have been left for two years or more.

They are a blight on the neighbourhood, pose hazards when they turn
into drug and flop houses and safety concerns when fires are burned to
keep those inside warm.

Now the city, combined with other agencies, has launched a special
team that is tracking down the owners of these properties and putting
pressure on them to make the homes livable once again.

In January, the Co-ordinated Safety Response Team mailed out an
"information package" to 93 owners of former grow ops, urging them to
get their properties remediated.

So far, 40 have responded and there are 53 still outstanding. If the
owners are not compliant, they could face Safety Codes Act and
Municipal Government Act orders. If the property is structurally
unsound or proving a real problem in the community, it could even be
demolished.

Hundreds of grow operations have been routed out by police in Calgary
in recent years. After the marijuana is cleared, an Alberta Health
Services inspector condemns the property. The owner has to secure the
home from entry, and then remediate to rid it of the environmental and
structural problems from the grow op.

But here's the rub that is creating headaches for communities: there
is no timeline by which that renovation has to be completed.

"The problem is, and from our end we recognize this problem, that some
of these homes can sit for years, partially remediated, some not
remediated at all," said Lynne Navratil, supervisor of built
environments with the health authority.

It's hoped the new team will change that, with an agenda to get these
homes sorted out quickly, according to co-ordinator Wayne Brown, who
works for the city.

"They do get eventually remediated. It just takes a long time," he
said. "Probably on average it takes about two years."

Complicating matters is that banks and mortgage companies have
foreclosed on some of the homes.

A lot can happen in the two years it is taking to get the average
former grow op house back into decent shape, with police getting
"numerous calls" to some properties.

This is according to Staff Sgt. Tom Hanson, a Calgary police officer
responsible for Green Team South, which finds and dismantles grow ops
and is an arm of the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team.

These former grow ops become and eyesore in the community and attract
curious kids. The also become hangouts for drug users, he said.

"Word travels fast within that community that these places are
available," Hanson said. "They can quite often go in and cause
problems to the surrounding neighbourhood."

It seems these vacant former grow ops are all over the
city.

The Sherwood home across the street from Ping Pong has been sitting
vacant for almost three years.

According to an Alberta Health Services report, there was mould
growth; the electrical system had been meddled with; some areas were
contaminated with chemicals and fertilizer; and hole had been chopped
through the foundation to bypass the meter and steal
electricity.

That report was signed in July 2008, and still the home sits vacant.
The situation is "not good for the community," Pong said.

Then Pong points down the street to second former marijuana grow
operation busted last year. His neighbour, Lorenc Korashi, notes yet
another nearby, this one boarded up after it was raided last fall.

"The City of Calgary have a problem, and I think they should deal with
it," he said.