200 S. Anaheim
Boulevard.
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Anaheim, CA 92805
Tel: (714) 765-5094
Fax: (714) 765-5164
www.anaheim.net
CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
City of Anaheim
CITY MANAGER’S OFFICE
DATE: AUGUST 23, 2022
FROM: CITY MANAGER’S OFFICE
SUBJECT: REBUILD BEACH UPDATE AND RECOMMENDATIONS
ATTACHMENT (Y/N): NO ITEM # 18
REQUESTED ACTION:
That the City Council, by Motion, receive and file an update on Rebuild Beach and as necessary provide direction to staff with the possibility of allocating additional appropriations based on Council direction.
DISCUSSION:
At the August 9, 2022, City Council meeting, Mayor Pro Tem O’Neil requested an agenda item with an update regarding enforcement and improvement efforts on Beach Boulevard, staff recommendations on additional enforcement and any required appropriations necessary to implement recommendations.
At the December 7, 2021, City Council meeting, a workshop was presented on Rebuild Beach, a renewed effort to address day to day public safety and quality of life issues while promoting the long-term redevelopment of Beach. Since that time, staff has been working on a multitude of enforcement efforts, long-term redevelopment, branding and more. The Rebuild Beach is an inter-departmental team comprised of staff from Planning & Building, Code Enforcement, City Administration, City Attorney, Police, Public Works, Economic Development, Housing & Community Development, Audit, Community Services, and Public Utilities working together to address motels and other businesses that have strained City resources, contributed to blight and impacted the quality of life of nearby residents.
To address Mayor Pro Tem O’Neil’s request regarding Beach Boulevard, staff will provide several updates on the Rebuild Beach initiative below.
Enforcement Efforts:
The 1.5 miles of Beach Boulevard from Lincoln Avenue and Ball Road houses more than 18 motels and aging strip centers, many of them blighted.
The area has declined over decades as business owners were either unable or unwilling to maintain or invest in their properties. The area became a magnet for criminal activity including human trafficking and prostitution, illegal gambling, drug use and distribution, thefts and violent crime including murder.
Rebuild Beach Update
August 23, 2022
The City has proactively reached out to motels and other businesses to be part of a better, renewed Beach through education and City resources available to help meet commercial property standards and improve the boulevard. Enforcement will be used in cases where business and property owners decline City help and to ensure public safety, compliance with the Anaheim Municipal Code and to improve quality of life of residents, businesses and visitors. Below are more specific examples of the efforts of multiple City departments.
Planning/Code Enforcement
Following the Rebuild Beach workshop, the city began working on a number of proactive enforcement and improvement efforts. Proactive enforcement started with letters to 18 hotels along Beach Boulevard to notify operators of steps the city would be taking to address increased crime and quality of life issues on Beach Boulevard.
Subsequently, staff met individually with operators of several poorly managed motels in order to encourage improved operations and oversight of the motels. Following these meetings, staff initiated revocation or modification proceedings of conditional use permits (CUP) for two motels; the Anaheim Lodge and the Travel Inn. City Council approved modifications to the CUPs, adding new operational and security requirements, at the April 12, 2022 City Council meeting. Staff is currently evaluating comprehensive approaches to regulate motel operations, including the feasibility of a zoning code amendment to establish operational standards that would be applicable to all motels on Beach Boulevard and/or citywide.
In addition to the enforcement efforts related to motels, Code Enforcement has launched a pro-active enforcement program for commercial properties. Code Enforcement staff, in partnership with Economic Development staff, is conducting a door-to-door outreach and education campaign. The goal of this effort is to convey the City’s Commercial Property Standards to ensure a healthy, safe and successful business environment. Following the education and outreach campaign, Code Enforcement will follow up with property owners and businesses on any necessary enforcement actions.
On March 29, 2022, the Covered Wagon Motel was shut down as it was deemed unsafe for occupancy. The motel was ‘red tagged’ by the City’s Building Official for public health and safety violations including broken doors and windows, blocked ingress and egress, unsafe electrical, plumbing and mechanical systems, lack of smoke detectors, and mold. The red tagging is part of Anaheim’s efforts to address issues with motels on Beach Boulevard and to ensure they are operating safely, legally and according to basic standards. Conditions at the Covered Wagon were inhumane with safety hazards, filth, waste and signs of drug use and human trafficking and prostitution. Long term residents staying at the motel who were eligible for housing assistance were provided assistance by the Anaheim Housing Authority and the Community Care Response Team along with Be Well OC.
Crime Enforcement
The Anaheim Police Department has been focusing on direct enforcement operations on Beach Boulevard throughout 2022 based on the amount of criminal activity in the area. APD continues to prioritize outreach and enforcement efforts in order to address public safety and quality of life issues on Beach Boulevard. The APD West Community Policing Team leads the continuous enforcement efforts while organizing larger, ongoing directed enforcement campaigns, which include APD Patrol as well as specialized police details. A number of public safety resources and strategies have been Rebuild Beach Update
August 23, 2022
deployed in the area including overt cameras and directed enforcement efforts which aim to protect the area’s business owners and residents, while reducing the impact of crime.
The installation of high-visibility cameras along Beach Boulevard has shown to be one of the most effective tools for locating and deterring crime. Officers have used video evidence to conduct investigations of crimes that would have otherwise been undetected. Several locations for additional cameras have been identified and will be installed when equipment and funding allow.
Large scale, directed enforcement operations on Beach Boulevard and the surrounding area of influence have already been conducted in the area, and more are planned for the future. An operation in November 2021 resulted in nearly two hundred arrests and citations, the seizure of firearms and drugs and the recovery of stolen property including stolen vehicles. Multiple vice related and human trafficking related investigations have also originated in the affected area.
APD’s outreach efforts to the area’s transient population are also ongoing as we attempt to provide long lasting solutions to homelessness with the assistance of numerous partners including Be Well OC and the Community Care Response Team. These outreach efforts have resulted in the successful relocation of several homeless individuals.
Additional Needs
In order the increase and accelerate the success of enforcement efforts, APD is making the following recommendations for increase in resources:
Ten additional overt camera packages (estimated cost of $4,000 per system) Ten Automated License Plate Reader (LPR) cameras (Estimated cost $3,000 per system) One new APD technology support vehicle “bucket truck” (estimated cost of $120,000) Additional overt camera monitoring capability via contractor (estimated cost of $118,000) Community Outreach:
Community, Business Watch Meetings
Community outreach for Rebuild Beach has been extensive with community meetings for nearby neighborhoods, reestablished Business Watch meetings to improve communication between business owners and the city, residents, businesses and community organizations. The Rebuild Beach team has held seven community and Business Watch meetings and took part in an additional Sustainability Fair to share how we are addressing quality of life issues, public safety efforts, working with motels and businesses, redevelopment, resources, proactive code enforcement and the long-term vision. The most recent Business Watch meeting took place on Tuesday, August 16, 2022, and was attended by 14 local business owners, including motels, gas stations, car washes, auto parts retailers, and restaurants.
Information was discussed on available city grants to improve lighting during the hours between dusk and dawn, incentives for businesses to create electric vehicle charging stations, Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles, promotion of services provided by the Community Crisis Response Team (CCRT) and Be Well OC, and fielding general questions on building codes and crime prevention.
Rebuild Beach Update
August 23, 2022
Webpage
A comprehensive webpage, Anaheim.net/RebuildBeach, documents the City’s Rebuild Beach efforts and serves as a central place for residents and businesses to learn more about the initiative and track changes taking place. The page includes an extensive fact sheet with a running timeline of progress on Beach, extensive sections on Anaheim Police’s targeted enforcement and high-visibility cameras, homeless outreach, Code Enforcement Commercial Property Standards and Economic Development’s Facade Improvement Program. We also highlight upcoming projects, including plans for additional LED streetlights and utility line undergrounding.
Social Media
We have shared Rebuild Beach’s progress with Facebook and Instagram posts and highlighting In-N- Out Burger, Starbucks and other retailers expected at 39 Commons, the building of the Nolin townhome community at northeast Beach and Lincoln Avenue and the demolition of the Americana Motel and former retail buildings at southeast Beach and Lincoln.
Anaheim.net press releases
We have shared press releases on the homepage of Anaheim.net about the red tagging of the Covered Wagon and about retail and homes coming to 39 Commons.
Media
To help share information with our community, we have pursued and seen coverage of Rebuild Beach in the Los Angeles Times, Orange County Register, Telemundo and Spectrum News 1.
Economic Development:
Commercial Facade Improvement Program
As a part of the Rebuild Beach initiative, the City launched the Commercial Facade Improvement Program to help commercial properties improve the look of their building. Eligible businesses can apply for one-time grants to improve the outward appearance or structure of their facades to create a better business environment for tenants, customers, and community.
The First, a Cosmetic Facade grant limited to $10,000 for exterior cleaning, painting, lighting, landscaping, and addressing exterior code violations. The Second, a more substantial Structural grant of up to $100,000 for storefront restoration, renovation, and facade modifications. Both grants are structured in a 75% - 25% partnership structure, in which the property owner/business owner is responsible for 25% of the total projects cost and 75% of the project costs are covered by the City. 39 Commons
At the northeast corner of Beach Boulevard and Lincoln Avenue 30 acres of land is being developed as a shopping center and townhomes. The Nolin townhome community completed construction in spring of 2022 and homes are now selling. The next phase of 39 commons is the retail component, as mentioned above there will be an In-N-Out Burger, Starbucks and others with construction beginning in early 2023, with the first businesses anticipated as early as late 2023.
As a result of the Rebuild Beach initiative, staff and community members have seen improvement on Beach Boulevard since December, with more work still to be done. The inter-departmental group is Rebuild Beach Update
August 23, 2022
actively looking at potential acquisitions and utilizing development strategies to assist with creating a long-term and sustainable transformation of Beach Boulevard.
IMPACT ON BUDGET:
The Police Department's FY 2022/23 General Fund budget will be increased based on City Council direction.
Respectfully submitted,
Jim Vanderpool
City Manager