Dear Mr. Mayor, City Council Members,
In April of this year, I drew your attention to the occupation of a piece of property by the owners of 288 West 5th street. Based on information I obtained from the Property Deed, this piece of land is City property, and the occupation appears to be illegal. A wooden fence that had been erected was red-tagged as illegal, and has been removed, but a wire fence, which would appear to be equally illegal, has not been tagged as such. The result is not only the loss of a piece of City property, but also the loss to the public of lateral ocean access and public ocean view, including a view of the lighthouse.
Please see attached pictures of the before and after situation.
No visible action has been taken since April. I understand there is a legal matter ongoing, but this situation has persisted for 4 years, and it seems to be time to resolve it.
As I have mentioned before, my wife and I would love to participate in your bench program, see this piece of property restored to its original well-managed status, and place a bench there for the public to enjoy the view.
I would like to address this matter in your upcoming City Council meeting of November 18.
With kind regards, Wouter Roorda