|
[SCVHISTORY.COM] [OLD TOWN NEWHALL TODAY] [NEWHALL HISTORY]
City Getting Serious About Parking, Housing Codes
By Josh Premako
Signal Staff Writer
Thursday, October 6, 2005
or the first time in its nearly 18-year history, the city intends to proactively enforce some of its parking and housing codes in Canyon Country and Newhall.
The city intends to breathe new life into code enforcement with a three-pronged plan focused on property maintenance, parking enforcement and housing inspection.
A so-called "neighborhood reinvestment" plan, targeting areas of Canyon Country and Newhall, was presented Tuesday by City Manager Ken Pulskamp at a study session of the Santa Clarita City Council.
A list of property maintenance issues brought to the city's attention included complaints about unpermitted garage conversions, trash and debris, abandoned vehicles, and neglected maintenance and landscaping.
Moving away from reactive code enforcement, the program purposes "to reinstill ... a sense of pride in the community," Pulskamp said.
In the past, the city's code-enforcement policy was complaint-driven, which Pulskamp said has not performed effectively.
The revised plan is proactive in its approach, he said, with the city taking steps to enforce code violations before citizens complain about them.
Key areas on which the reinvestment plan will focus are sections of Whites Canyon and Soledad Canyon roads, Scherzinger Lane and the Newhall redevelopment area.
A move away from complaint-based code enforcement drew support from several residents attending the study session.
"I've watched my neighborhood steadily decline," said Eric Quirk, who lives off of Whites Canyon Road. "With the city's help, we can (clean it up)."
The property maintenance and parking enforcement aspects of the plan already are in effect, with notable successes in the area of parking violations, said Tina Haddad, management analyst for the city.
Since July 2005, fifteen abandoned vehicles have been towed, and 125 citations have been issued for time limit violations on San Fernando Road between Lyons and Newhall avenues, Haddad said.
Authorities also have issued 77 "red tags," warning notices placed on vehicles that have been parked in the same spot on public streets for more than 72 hours.
Regarding housing inspection, Pulskamp said the current policy is to perform inspections upon construction. With housing conditions deteriorating in some areas and rumors of illegal uses — such as houses being rented out beyond capacity — he said it would behoove the city to adopt a proactive inspection process.
The city manager's office is in the early stages of an inspection pilot program in Newhall, which will take several months to establish inspection parameters, prior to requesting City Council approval.
Pulskamp said benefits of a revised inspection plan would include reduced safety and health risks, discouragement of illegal conversions or additions and removal of unpermitted uses.
He said that if and when a plan is adopted, he will require additional staff members.
While the revamped enforcement in all three areas will be more aggressive and proactive, Pulskamp said city officials "don't intend to walk into these neighborhoods with a heavy hand."
The plan garnered unanimous City Council support.
"We really need for everybody to have a good quality of life," Councilwoman Laurene Weste said. "It is so important to not let Santa Clarita disintegrate."
©THE SIGNAL | PUBLISHED BY PERMISSION.
|