The longest-running nuisance case in Vancouver’s history is winding down at last.
The Fruit Valley house that used to belong to Ted Pyle, and was the subject of decades of conflict that repeatedly landed in front of city hearings examiners and county judges — and landed Pyle himself in jail at least once — was demolished on Tuesday.
Over the years the house at 4416 N.W. Fruit Valley Road became a potent symbol to many, but what it symbolized depended on your point of view. For the former and current owner and a handful of supporters it represented private property rights, but for neighbors and passers-by it was an eye-catching example of blight and danger. The smirking character graffitied onto the front of the fenced-off building a few years back — holding a sign reading “Welcome to Fruit Valley” — seemed to imply something menacing.
In 2007, longtime owner Pyle finally gave up on his yearslong battle with the city and signed the property over to his silent partner, Paul Johnston. Johnston, now listed as the sole owner, fenced the place off and moved slowly toward asbestos abatement and the final demolition that took place this week.
Before that, though, Pyle was notorious for fighting the city in inflammatory fashion. “This mess … this is a new mess I created” just to infuriate bureaucrats, he said with a grin in 2006 while showing off some fresh clutter at the property.
“How tough it is that that little rat in Fruit Valley doesn’t behave like he’s in Cascade Park?” he said in a mocking tone. “Well, this is the commercial part of town, where the ugliness is supposed to be kept.”
Eric LaBrant, president of the Fruit Valley Neighborhood Association, couldn’t disagree more. “Fruit Valley might not be the wealthiest neighborhood in Vancouver but folks living there have put a lot of elbow grease into making it nice,” he said Wednesday. “Especially if you were coming in on 39th (Street, the house) was the first thing to greet you coming into the neighborhood. Not necessarily the best impression.”
Code violations at the property go back to at least 1992, according to The Columbian’s archives.
Pyle operated an illegal auto repair and junk yard for years that violated city safety, maintenance and zoning codes. Police and firefighters were repeatedly called to the place because of trespassing, graffiti, fires and fire danger.
In 2006 officials including city and state police and building and health inspectors searched the property and turned up 41 violations and levied more than $10,000 in fines. The violations included a dilapidated garage containing an open, uncovered well; people squatting in the uninhabitable residence and in vehicles on the premises; ongoing remodeling without a current permit; an illegal auto repair and wrecking business; solid waste “stored throughout the property” and both sewage and chemical waste spilling onto the ground; unapproved water, plumbing and septic systems; and no heat or electricity, with space heaters and lights powered by a generator.
There was a court order setting a tight nuisance abatement schedule and barring Pyle from his own property; Pyle’s approach to “compliance” was to wait until the last possible moment and then tear down and set fire to the worst offender on the site: the deteriorating, detached garage.
That resulted in yet another emergency call. The Vancouver Fire Department hosed down the smoking ruins.
“It’s been on the neighborhood’s radar for quite a while,” LaBrant said. “I’m glad to see it’s finally reached a resolution.”
