CJ Dablo:
Staff Writer
Long the bane of their neighbors, the vacant homes on the 2900 block of Hill Street are closer to meeting their maker, or, more likely, their wrecking ball.
The Long Beach City Attorney’s office acknowledged this week that they are moving forward with plans to demolish the two homes that were built more than a decade ago without permits.
Photos from previous years show the homes located at 2910 and 2914 Hill St., which were built more than 10 years ago without the necessary permits, according to Long Beach City staffers. Now the City is taking steps to demolish the houses, which have been vandalized and deemed a blight to the neighborhood.
“I don’t know what the original developer knew about the lack of utilities there or the obstacles to obtaining them there,” Carney said. “But I think that!most professional developers do their homework prior to starting a development and certainly obtain the right legal documents before they break ground.”
The original developer, Wayne Ballinger, sold the homes years ago. According to Carney, 6 Angels LLC purchased the homes “as is.” Brian Angel, a spokesman for the company, declined an interview request from the Signal Tribune.
Superior Court Judge Michael Vicencia issued a ruling on May 8 against 6 Angels LLC and fellow defendant B.D.R. Inc. in favor of the City of Long Beach, authorizing the City to demolish the homes. The ruling notes that 48 hours after the City posts a written notice of its intention, the City may utilize the bonds posted by 6 Angels and B.D.R. to recover the cost of the demolition. The ruling was stayed 30 days after the May 8 deadline.
Carney confirmed that, although the property owners have the ability to get rid of the houses on their own, the City is already working with a contractor to move forward with the demolition now that the 30-day hold has passed. She said there are still several steps that have to be followed, including a waiting period for authorities to review the plan and ensure that there are no environmental issues.
Since the homes are located near the border between Signal Hill and Long Beach, Signal Hill residents and their City officials have been affected by the blight in their neighborhood. The Signal Tribune has reported in the past that the homes have been the target of vandalism and have even been set on fire.
Since the homes are officially within the City of Long Beach’s jurisdiction, Signal Hill Deputy City Manager Charlie Honeycutt credited the Long Beach City Attorney’s office for their work.
“Signal Hill has spent countless hours dealing with various issues related to these properties over the past 12 years, including ownership changes, lack of utilities and access issues,” Honeycutt said in an email. “The unfinished and fire-damaged appearance of these homes have been an ongoing concern to neighboring residents. The homes are often mistaken to be in Signal Hill but are, in fact, located in Long Beach. The City of Long Beach City Attorney’s Office has been very good to work with and deserves the credit for bringing this matter to a conclusion.”
Carney acknowledged that these properties brought years of legal and administrative problems.
“The unsafe construction and vacant homes there created an obvious nuisance condition,” she said. “It’s been the site of several fires and has been a great concern for the neighborhood. So from the City’s perspective, City staff just wanted to see it either completed so that it would not pose the danger that it has or [be] demolished! just so that there’s some resolution to the ongoing violations there.”
