Abandoned Condo Project Irks Neighbors

An abandoned, unfinished condominium project in San Dimas has become a major source of irritation for nearby homeowners, who have told the City Council they will take steps to see that the project is either finished or cleared away.

Residents who live near the 30-acre site at Walnut and Allen avenues say it has become a target of vandals and a haven for drug abusers since construction was halted in December, 1984, after the developer’s primary lender, San Marino Savings & Loan Assn., was closed and liquidated by federal regulators because of questionable lending practices.

Although city officials say the firm that started the project, Sand Dollar Development Inc. of Irvine, will turn the property over to another developer for completion within 90 days, homeowner Joseph Durkan said he and others who live near the site are skeptical because of already long delays. Durkan said the homeowners are examining the legal options available to them, including the possibility of filing suit against the city.

City code enforcement officer Gary Mann said about 30 buildings had reached various stages of completion before work stopped at the site. Council members told Durkan at a council meeting Tuesday night that they were embarrassed by the unfinished project and were working with Sand Dollar to ensure that a new developer takes charge soon.