An application has been made to move a house from Rapid View to Meadow Lake (Submitted photo/City of Meadow Lake)

By Nicole Reis

Moving Structures

City of Meadow Lake receives application to move home from RM to city

Sep 15, 2020 | 5:39 PM

An application has been made by an area resident to move a house approximately 26 km from Rapid View on to a lot at 820 2 Ave. West.

According to council agenda, the structure will be placed on a new foundation, with no anticipation of a future secondary suite. The applicant is not the current owner of the lot, but is planning to purchase the lot subject to the approval.

In an email, City Clerk Jessica Walters said the request is not uncommon and offers another option infill housing.

“Because it involves bringing an existing building up to current building codes, there is a little more oversight required on our end,” Walters email read. “These applications come to council to ensure the building will be a good fit in the neighbourhood it is moving to.”

The home was built in the 80s and inspected by local fire chief Neil Marsh on Sept. 2 whose report suggested the home is in good structural condition with some repairs necessary. The inspection was to review the condition of the existing dwelling before it was permitted to move into the city.

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“The oldest houses on the block were built in the 1940s, but there are also some houses from the 1980s and newer in the area from other infill construction,” Walters said.

Walters explained the applicant must address a number of items to ensure the building will be safe and up to code after it is moved to its new location.

Some items include blocking and bracing the floor at the new site, new HVAC and updates to the interior including ceilings and washrooms. The home also has bullet holes on one side of the home’s exterior wall.

Among other requirements, the city recommended the dwelling should not be moved to a newer area of town, but instead be placed in a neighbourhood where construction was majority completed around the same era. The applicant must also provide a set of drawings from a qualified design technologist to show the existing dwelling and foundation to support the superstructure.

The homeowner, Benjamin Nuesca said the lot adjacent to his home was for sale for a period of time but assumed it had sold. He said he welcomes the new neighbour if the home is structurally sound and up to code requirements.

The city requested the applicant address items outlined in the inspection report prior to issuing a building permit which must be provided prior to plan review.

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nicole.reis@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @nicolereis7722