A Burnaby house under construction, which belongs to superstar singer Michael Bublé, is raising some eyebrows.
The amalgamated lot at Government Road and Piper Avenue is 2.9 acres in size and is situated across the street from Seaforth Elementary School, where Bublé attended as a child.
The house will be over 27,000 square feet when finished, but it’s not the home size that is causing complaints.
At least one person has complained that Bublé has built an eight-foot-tall fence around the property, which is double what city bylaws typically allow. Dennis Back, Burnaby city clerk, told Global News “several relaxations” were granted by the board of variance.
But Back says Bublé’s fame isn’t why he’s getting special treatment.
“It’s being handled in the exact same way as any other application would be.”
The architect of the project noted in a rezoning application to city council that the tall fence was needed for “security purposes” and would be softened by hedges placed on the outside-facing sides.
The property will also include tennis courts, a swimming pool, and a rumoured three-quarter sized ice arena built into the basement.
This isn’t the singer’s only property in Metro Vancouver. He and his wife also own a home in the West Bay area of West Vancouver, assessed at $6 million in July 2015.
That home is roughly 6,700 square feet and was built in 2006.
Bublé, who has two sons with wife Luisana Lopilato, is known for his charity work in B.C. and around the world. He is a big supporter of the Burnaby Hospital Foundation, The Canucks Autism Network, Canucks Family Education Centre, Canuck Place hospice and the Burnaby RCMP.