After nearly a year of disputes and mounting city fines, the debris eyesore on the property of the former Oscar Motel in Longueuil will be cleared away.
Since Thursday, excavators have been removing the unsightly mountains of rubble to the relief of Longueuil Mayor Catherine Fournier.
“Finally,” Fournier said in a Facebook post. “The City has been in a dispute for many months with the owner on this subject. We had increased the number of infraction reports to push him to action.”
Since last June, the city has issued more than $44,000 in fines to the owners of the property according to the mayor.
Recognized for its iconic red and green sign, the property along Taschereau Boulevard is better known lately for its piles of debris.
Abandoned and deemed a danger by the Longueuil fire service, the longstanding motel built in the 1940s was demolished last year after a string of fires.
The original owners sold the motel in 2017 to Habitations Dessoleils a South Shore construction company.
The source of multiple complaints according to the city, the property has been left untouched by the owners leaving the wreckage of bricks and twisted metal to be a security risk for neighbouring residents.
While cognizant of the long delay, Mayor Fournier said the city acted to the best of its abilities.
Fournier said city officials even considered footing the bill of over $100,000 of taxpayers’ money to clear the site but said it would set a harmful precedent for other delinquent property owners.
According to the agreement with the city, the property must be completely cleared by the end of the month.
As for what will come of the site including the future of the well-known retro sign, remains unclear.
Owners Habitations Dessoleils did not respond to Global’s request for comment.
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