The city is taking action against a home that's been "significantly altered" without proper permits.
New Westminster city council has directed staff to file a notice in the land title office regarding the property at 1222 Eckert Ave. The action is in response to violations of the city's building regulations.
According to a staff report, city records show that the house was recently built and included a secondary suite. The city states that before the building permits were approved, staff advised the owner that the second floor deck couldn't be covered.
Frank Durante, the city's manager of building inspections, said the city advised the property owners that the decks couldn't be enclosed because the house was at its maximum floor space ratio. He said the city later received a complaint about the house, which prompted a visit from a building inspector who discovered the owner had enclosed a second-floor deck and a portion of the first-floor deck.
According to Durante, the enclosed area means the house exceeds its allowable floor space by about 610 square feet. He said the city attempted to address the matter through a stop work order, but the notice was removed and work on the house continued.
The staff report states that the house has been significantly altered without building permits.
"The unapproved work visible from the exterior includes: building a large addition by extending the rear roof line over the upper open deck area, building walls on top of the upper deck with three windows and a door across the back," stated the report.
