BY NICK DIAMANTIDES
Staff Writer
The Signal Hill Historical Society is hoping to convert a house and yard into a museum that will display photographs, artifacts and documents from Signal Hill dating back to the early 1900s. During its meeting on Tuesday night, the Signal Hill City Council directed staff to determine how the city might be able to help implement the project.
The house and yard are located at 2437-77 Gaviota Avenue and have been jointly owned by Willard Gillam and Arthur Holland for several years. Recently, Gillam gave his half ownership to the Historical Society.
Just before discussing the possibility of a museum at that location, the council voted unanimously to bill the property owners $28,854 for abatement costs and an overdue water bill. Last July, the city hired a contractor to clean up the property. “(The) property owners failed to substantially comply with the city’s notice to abate, remove junk, inoperable automobile, overgrown landscaping, and board over a vacant and substandard building,” said Gary Jones, director of community development. If Holland does not pay the costs of abatement and the water bill, the city will place a lien on the property.
In other actions, the council imposed an interim moratorium on the establishment of new businesses on the north side of PCH between Junipero and Freeman avenues, approved a conditional use permit to allow the retail sale of packaged alcoholic beverages for off-site consumption at the Fresh & Easy market that will be constructed at 2475 Cherry Avenue, and scheduled a public hearing for Oct. 28 to consider a five-percent increase in the city’s water rate.
The next meeting of the city council is scheduled for 7 p.m., Sept. 23 in the City Hall council chambers.
