7C/mac
Good Evening, Council Members.
The last time I was here, I asked you to help get the pavement on Mathews Ave get patched up. That happened: thank you. So I' m hoping you can help our neighborhood with another problem: properties that have been vacant for multiple years.
I' ve discussed these properties with city planning officials, code enforcement, and the city attorney.
All have said they' re helpless to take action. So, I' m hoping the Council can do something toward putting these derelicts back into the inventory of safe, livable housing in Redondo Beach.
The two properties closest to mine have been vacant for a decade or more. No effort has been made to maintain them at the standard of the neighborhood.
They both have had multiple code violations that get patched over, but they remain vacant eyesores, attractive to vermin, and squatters, and with unmaintained utility connections that have not been inspected. Being in the midst of occupied residents and businesses, they pose a significant risk of disaster.
Private property is a sacred value in our community. However, the right to dispose of your property does not always override community values. We are subject to fire inspections, various sanitary and health ordinances and other laws. We have codes. That' s why there is a code enforcement organization.
Our state and cities are critically short of affordable housing. Why are properties allowed to be vacant for so long? There are four vacant properties within a three minute drive of my house. How many others might I find if looked farther?
Other communities have taken action to address this problem. Why hasn' t Redondo Beach?
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