'An honest mistake': house in Manitoba built too close to neighbour allowed to stay
A home in Steinbach built too close to a neighbour's is allowed to stay where it is after city council said the builder made an "honest mistake."
The issue revolves around a house on Murano Cove in Steinbach. In a previous Steinbach city council meeting in early August, the builder of the house, Harry Pankraz, told council he only realized the error while doing the final landscaping on the home.
He said the corner of the house's front porch is now sitting two feet from the property line; however Steinbach bylaws require a four-foot space between a house and the property line.
He said the initial plans did not have the front porch on them, and said nobody checked during the approval process whether it was included in the measurements.
Pankraz had applied for a variance from the city to allow the house to remain where it is. However, Paul Boxhorn, who owns the neighbouring house, objected to the application.
"I am not okay with it. I invested almost half a million dollars into my house. (This) ruins the curb appeal of my house. It devalues my house," he told city council during a meeting on Aug. 2.
He also told council he worries if the house is allowed to stay where it is, it could impact fire safety and fire insurance. Boxhorn said with the two houses being too close together, he worries a potential fire would spread more easily, which could lead to an increase in his fire insurance.
A report submitted to city councillors on Tuesday said city administration was not aware of any previous case in the city where insurance was impacted by a variance request.
"It is unfortunate that the builder did not pay more attention to the survey or the plan drawing. I'm not going to give any excuses for the builder why he did that – an oversight, whatever – I'm not going there," said Coun. Jake Hiebert during the council meeting Tuesday.
"But what I do hope at the end of all this is that this is sort of a situation between the builder of number 18 and the owners of 14, but I hope somehow it won't be an issue between the two neighbours."
Pankraz previously told council if the variance is rejected, the house would require a "total structural change."
Steinbach Mayor Earl Funk said he was in support of approving the variance.
"I think in this case, it was just an honest mistake," he said. "I do hope too that we will be able to get past this in the neighbourhood and this will work out well."
Council voted in favour of allowing the variance Tuesday evening.
Pankraz declined a request for comment from CTV News.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
BREAKING Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 mm among weather alerts in effect for 7 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
A fight to protect the dignity of Michelangelo's David raises questions about freedom of expression
Michelangelo's David has been a towering figure in Italian culture since its completion in 1504. But in the current era of the quick buck, curators worry the marble statue's religious and political significance is being diminished.
Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children
An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned.
What new auto insurance reforms will mean for Ontarians, if they get introduced
Ontario has among the highest rates for auto insurance premiums in Canada -- just below Alberta and Nova Scotia -- however, the introduction of an insurance reform in the provincial budget could soon lower prices.