It appears the infamous 555 Earle Crescent in Oliver will lose its heritage status prior to demolition.

Town council will discuss the matter today at its committee of the whole meeting at 4:30 p.m.

Randy Houle, director of development services, has recommended that the derelict home be removed from the Community Heritage Register before a demolition permit is approved and carried out.

In 2006, council passed a resolution to establish a heritage register. The following year the single-family dwelling in question was one of 25 properties added to the register.

According to BC Assessment, the dwelling was built in 1936.

Houle said the home and several others on Earle Crescent were recognized primarily as the homes of Oliver’s first privileged class – the designers and engineers of the irrigation canal known as the “ditch.”

The 1.5 storey Craftsman style home, along with the brickwork, open eves, long shed dormers for the two upper floor rooms and other features contribute to its heritage value. Although the dwelling is listed on the register, it is not protected from demolition or alteration, Houle pointed out. Two buildings in Oliver, the museum and the visitor centre are protected from demolition or alteration via heritage protection bylaws adopted in the early 1980s.

During the last few years, the home has fallen in disrepute, with many RCMP visits relating to nuisance complaints against the occupants.

Last summer a fire severely damaged the dwelling, leaving it in poor structural condition. Houle said the house was periodically used as a place for vulnerable individuals seeking shelter from the elements.

He said a property management company (Sentinel) has now been appointed as receiver of the property with the intention of seeking a demolition permit.

“Although this is not an ideal outcome given that the property is on the Community Heritage Register, it is a necessary one given both the hazards and visual nuisances that an abandoned, burnt-out building poses,” Houle said.

He noted the proper course of action is to remove the dwelling from the register prior to it being demolished.