The Log Barn is located on Highway 97 A, just north of Armstrong.

(CHARLOTTE HELSTON / iNFOnews.ca)

SPALLUMCHEEN - The Township of Spallumcheen says a well-known roadside attraction in the North Okanagan has been uncooperative in rectifying several health and safety issues.

Spallumcheen council has ordered that a notice on title be placed on the Log Barn, a tourist attraction and fruit stand on Highway 97 A, just north of Armstrong.

The township’s chief administrative officer Corey Paiement says such notices are used “when things get to a point where we don’t see that the property owner is going to be cooperative in rectifying the situation.”

It's not the first time the business has been warned to address the problems. The township hand delivered a letter to the Log Barn in May of 2016 outlining seven building bylaw and building code infractions. The letter provided roughly two weeks for the owner to rectify the issues, and stated ‘failure to comply may result in further enforcement action.’ 

According to the township’s building inspector and fire inspector, the Log Barn does not have proper guards and handrails on decks and raised walkways, or adequate emergency lights and exit signs inside the store. The township also says the business built several structures without a building permit.

“The log structure adjacent to the highway, for which a stop work order was posted last year, was constructed in defiance of a stop work order and without a building permit,” states the township.

Some of the issues have been in existence since 2012, according to written correspondence between the township and the property owner. The township also initiated court action in B.C. Supreme Court in 2014 related to five items, one of which was unauthorized construction.

“Our primary concern is health and safety issues on this property,” Paiement says.

The notice on title doesn’t force the Log Barn to fix the issues, but it does put a red flag on the property.

“The notice serves to identify to those who look at the title, sometimes prospective purchasers, there are issues on the property,” Paiement says.

Efforts to reach the Log Barn for comment have been unsuccessful.

Last summer, the township ordered the Log Barn to remove almost 20 signs from the property, citing safety hazards for motorists.

At the time, Log Barn owner Kimberley Stuart told iNFOnews.ca the loss of the signs was devastating for business.

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News from © iNFOnews, 2016