A group of James Bay residents are calling on the city to do something about a gas station on Menzies Street that has sat virtually empty since 2017 after closing for renovations.
On June 10, James Bay resident Jen Reimer created an online petition, asking the city to "change the status" of the site by directing the owner to complete or sell the property within a foreseeable deadline. The petition has since garnered over 650 signatures as of June 27.
“A high number of our local residents are seniors, and they rely heavily on their vehicles. The neighbourhood needs a gas station to provide fuel, propane, air, charging and retail services to dozens or businesses, workers and hundreds of visiting drivers. After 7 years, we've run out of patience and require more than what we now have, which is nothing," noted Reimer in a news release.
She says the owner of the property is using a bylaw loophole where a builder can retain their building permit by making slight changes to the site each month, and in December 2021, Victoria council members directed staff to look at ways to resolve the loophole, however, no recommendations have been made since.
In a recent email to Reimer, City of Victoria spokesperson Colleen Mycroft said the city is currently investigating the property maintenance bylaw for the property, and they "have spoken with the owner and compliance efforts are underway.”
