Windsor's Property Standards Committee is calling for the demolition of 75 boarded up homes near the Ambassador Bridge on the city's west side.
City building officials handed out 114 repair orders to the Ambassador Bridge Company, which owns all the empty homes. Company representatives appeared at city hall Monday to make its case against orders.
Now council is faced with a recommendation to demolish most of the blight ridden homes, but confusion over the matter still stands.
“We've noticed in the last year and a half, accelerated deterioration due to the longevity of them being vacant," says Lee Anne Doyle, Windsor’s chief building official.
But what to do with heritage properties remains unclear.
Ward 2 councillor Ron Jones says council is now faced with an unclear recommendation regarding demolition.
“One pertaining to homes that are not heritage homes and ones that are in fact heritage homes but they did not talk to the heritage district. I'm very, very confused," says Jones.
Despite the confusion, bridge company president Dan Stamper says Monday's decision is a partial victory, that could lead to an improved relationship with the city.
“We want to give immediate relief to the community by removing the homes that are not heritage and we want quick process to remove those that are,” says Stamper. “So I think the bad faith from the city's view of being our competitor has been put in check today.”
Monday evening, the city announced it would appeal the decision by the Property Standards Committee to change Order to Repair to Orders to Demolish.
The City of Windsor will have to take its appeal to the Superiour Court of Justice.
