Image Credit: SUBMITTED/Pixabay
July 24, 2024 - 11:30 AM
The owner of a rooming house in Kelowna requested a business license from Kelowna and was turned down by city council.
Rooming house owner Dennis Axel Hildebrand was unaware that invoice delivery methods for business license renewals had been moved to email rather than a mailed copy of the letter.
After a motor vehicle accident in 2021, Hildebrand was not checking his email due to mental health reasons related to the accident and did not see the renewal statement.
“I think it’s important to consider the magnitude of the decision that was made is quite large and it impacts our family, and not checking an email, I feel, that’s unfair to have a business licence cancelled because of that,” Hildebrand said.
Hildebrand’s business license for his property on Bernard Avenue has since been cancelled due to a failure to renew online since. The fee for the business license was not paid leading to automatic cancellation.
Since his business license was cancelled, zoning bylaws were updated for the area deeming a rooming house non-permissible.
According to community planning and development manager Dean Strachan, multiple kitchens were added to the property prior to Hildebrand’s ownership, which changed the property definition from rooming house to an apartment with seven units. This building style is not allowed on the property in accordance with bylaw.
“In 2023 and again in 2024 we offered to accept to as a seven-unit apartment building and allow it to proceed under that use... the applicant unfortunately did not want to pursue that ,” Strachan said.
Due to the additional kitchens on the property, a license is needed to continue service.
Council upheld the decision of the city inspector to refuse issuance of a business license for a rooming house rather than an apartment-style building.
Staff can still work on an apartment rezoning application with Hildebrand so he can operate his business in the future.
To contact a reporter for this story, email Bailey Zimmer or call 250-808-0143 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.
We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. SUBSCRIBE to our awesome newsletter here.
News from © iNFOnews, 2024