COUNCILLOR CURBS PLAN TO EXPOSE GROW HOUSES

A Scarborough councillor has been forced to curb plans to expose
marijuana grow-op houses in his ward by posting large notices in front
of them.

Ward 39 Councillor Mike Del Grande (Scarborough-Agincourt) said that
media coverage of what he wanted to be a test project has forced him
to rethink his strategy, but he remains determined to rid his north
Scarborough ward of the "cancer" that is grow houses.

"This is not a casual event, this is very well orchestrated and it's
epidemic and it's basically cancerous," he said of the 28 known
grow-ops that have been shut down by police in the past year.

"I'm trying to get these guys out of the neighbourhood and send a
message to absentee landlords that you are responsible as well."

Using oversized property standards notices as lawn ornaments, Del
Grande had hoped to expose the operations and let neighbours know that
private homes being rented out on their otherwise quiet residential
streets were actually havens for criminal activity.

"It's happening right under their nose and it's in their neighbourhood
and it's a big problem," he said.

The campaign, which was to become an ongoing one, began Friday with
notices being placed in front of homes on Eagle Point Road and Chapel
Hill Crescent. They had been rented out privately with the tenants
paying 12 months in advance with post-dated cheques when police shut
down the operations.

Although utility companies are being brought in to track the grow-ops
because of the illegal use of hydro power, Del Grande said the city
should step in with property standards orders to make sure the houses
are safe for re-sale.

The grow operators usually steal hydro by digging holes in the
foundation, which can cause structural weakness. The possibility of
mold and other airborne irritants is also greater in grow houses.

That becomes a problem when the owner of the home tries to sell it to
purchasers who may be unaware of the potential dangers within, Del
Grande said.

"They just do a quick paint job and put the place up for sale and we
don't know the extent of how bad things are," he said.

Neighbours near the houses that were signed, however, expressed
concerns about their property values being affected, the councillor
said.

"For people to try and make that property values are depreciating, I'm
very conscious of that," he said.

But he insists that at least he's trying to be "pro-active" on the
issue and that the plan was to post notices for a short time to alert
residents to what had been happening.

"This is not vigilante going out shooting guns etc. ...," Del Grande
said. "This was done with some thought and it wasn't wide-spread."