STAFF REPORT
City of Lancaster
CC 4
12/9/2025
TN
Date:December 9, 2025
To: Mayor Parris and City Council Members
From:Andrea Alexander, City Clerk
Subject:Amendment to Lancaster Municipal Code Chapter 9.55 — Vacant Residential and Commercial Property Compliance Program
Recommendation:
Adopt Ordinance No. 1144, amending and restating Chapter 9.55 of the Lancaster Municipal Code to establish a unified Vacant Property Compliance Program that sets registration, monitoring, and maintenance standards for vacant commercial properties, clarifies existing residential provisions, and authorizes registration and monitoring charges to recover the City’s inspection, enforcement, and compliance costs.
G.C. Section 84308: No
Fiscal Impact:
No direct General Fund appropriation is required. Administrative and inspection costs will be recovered through the Registration and Monitoring Charges ranging from $250-$5,000. Charges and Administrative Citations are set by Council Approved Ordinance and may be modified by Council resolution.
Background:
Vacant properties—both residential and commercial—can negatively impact neighborhood stability, diminish property values, and create recurring public safety and code enforcement challenges. The City’s existing Vacant Property Ordinance (Chapter 9.55) currently provides a framework for managing unoccupied residential properties, but does not adequately address the growing number of commercial vacancies along key corridors such as Lancaster Boulevard, Avenue J, and Avenue I.
Unmonitored or poorly maintained commercial properties often attract vandalism, trespassing, illegal dumping, and blight, which require repeated City response. To address these impacts, staff conducted a review of comparable programs throughout Southern California—including those in Long Beach, Riverside, West Hollywood, and Pasadena—to identify best practices for 2 2
4 3
balancing accountability, economic activation, and legal compliance.
The proposed amendment creates a unified compliance program that integrates commercial properties into Chapter 9.55 while maintaining the City’s existing residential provisions. The ordinance introduces several key elements:
1.Commercial Property Classifications:
Defines Stable, At-Risk, and Failed property conditions to align compliance requirements with observable site conditions. This tiered approach allows City staff to prioritize inspection and enforcement efforts while rewarding proactive property owners who maintain their sites.
2.Registration and Monitoring Charges:
Establishes administrative Registration and Monitoring Charges to recover the City’s costs for inspections, enforcement, and compliance monitoring. The program aligns with Government Code §66014 and the framework is built out to ensure full cost recovery.
3.Enhanced Maintenance and Security Standards:
Requires vacant commercial properties to maintain clear windows and façades, functioning lighting, landscape upkeep, prompt graffiti removal, and visible 24-hour contact signage. Plywood boarding is limited to temporary use; long-term security must use clear, shatter-resistant sheeting to maintain corridor aesthetics and safety.
4.Activation Incentives:
Provides an optional Activation Plan pathway for property owners to temporarily utilize vacant storefronts through displays, art installations, pop-ups, lighting treatments, or community installations in collaboration with churches/non-profit organizations that deter nuisance activity and enhance the streetscape. Properties with approved activation plans that remain violation-free for twelve (12) months are exempt from monitoring charges during that period.
5.Monitoring and Cost Recovery Section (§9.55.050):
Adds a new section authorizing the City to recover all inspection, monitoring, and enforcement costs through Council-established administrative charges. Unpaid charges may be collected as special assessments or liens, ensuring fiscal neutrality for the General Fund.
The combined framework ensures that vacant properties—whether residential or commercial— are responsibly managed, visually maintained, and fiscally accountable. The program is designed to prevent deterioration of commercial corridors, safeguard neighborhood character, and promote reinvestment while avoiding additional taxpayer burden.
At the Lancaster City Council meeting held on November 18, 2025, the City Council approved the introduction of Ordinance No. 1144, amending and restating Chapter 9.55 of the Lancaster Municipal Code to establish a unified Vacant Property Compliance Program that sets registration, monitoring, and maintenance standards for vacant commercial properties, clarifies existing residential provisions, and authorizes registration and monitoring charges to recover the City’s inspection, enforcement, and compliance costs, by the following vote: 5-0-0-0: AYES:
Hughes-Leslie, Malhi, Mann, Crist, Parris; NOES: None; ABSTAIN: None; ABSENT: None.
Attachment:
Ordinance No. 1144