Fix-Up Funds Offered to Commodore Circle
Facing a June 30 deadline to decide how to spend more than $500,000 in federal money to clean up Huntington Beach’s most dilapidated street, the City Council has voted to offer Commodore Circle landlords a package of grants and low-interest loans.
City officials said Tuesday that if the dozen landlords accept the offer and agree to maintain the area, $185,000 will be set aside to pay for architects’ drawings and improvements to common areas such as sidewalks, alleys and trash enclosures. The remaining $340,000 to be made available in 6% loans would pay for building improvements.
Federal officials set the deadline for the city to allocate the Housing and Community Block Grant money set aside for the street or lose the money.
“I know we have heard this all before,” said Pat Spencer, program manager for the city’s redevelopment and housing office. “But we have some new property owners out there who seem really enthusiastic to get something done. This is the closest I have ever been (to getting results) in 2 1/2 years.”
In January, for example, Commodore’s owners said they would work as a team to rehabilitate the one-block cul-de-sac if the city handed over $450,000 of the federal money with few strings attached. The city rejected that plan, contending that the landlords wanted the city to pay for fixing 20 apartment buildings that the landlords had allowed to deteriorate.
For five years, the city has tried unsuccessfully to improve the cul-de-sac on which many poor Latino and Vietnamese families live in overcrowded apartments.
Commodore Circle has become an eyesore, sandwiched between two modern condominium developments and across the street from the newly renovated Five Points Shopping Center.
Since January, however, 13 of the 20 buildings have changed hands, and city officials have gained confidence that progress can be made.
The interiors of most of the 80 units have been cleaned up, after Huntington Beach officials ordered the landlords to correct more than 700 housing code and safety violations or face criminal prosecution. The violations included roach and mice infestations, broken plumbing and stairways and hazardous wiring. Half of the landlords complied.
3 Landlords Still Face Hearings
Deputy City Atty. Ted Endries said that only three Commodore Circle landlords--Martin Settles, Ed Vergara and Robert Cervantes--still face June court hearings.
Four others, Robert Muse, Paul Amelotte and Robert and Art Cortez, who were arraigned last month in Municipal Court on 14 criminal charges, were given until Nov. 7 to finish repairs in progress.
Commodore’s owners are expected to meet with city officials next week to hammer out a legally binding agreement to spend the federal funds. “If they are not deeply involved in a commitment to the street,” Spencer said, “we cannot talk about disbursement of the money.”
Huntington Beach Mayor Robert P. Mandic Jr. agreed.
“We want assurances that the property will be maintained for decent tenants to live in,” Mandic said. “We need a specific agreement as to who will be responsible for what and how rapidly they will have to fix buildings that fall into disrepair.”
Susan Tully, the city’s housing inspector, said the landlords have come a long way since she combed through each of the apartments in March.
“Hopefully the council’s action will help to establish pride among the tenants and encourage landlords to do continual maintenance,” Tully said. “We’re kind of baby-sitting out there with continuous inspections. I’m afraid we are going to have to do it for a long time out there.”
Commodore’s middle-class neighbors, who once objected to the City Council giving money to “criminals,” had mixed reactions to the $525,000 offer.
Jerry Lawrence, president of the Huntington Creek Homeowners Assn., owners of the adjacent 92 condominium units, said, “The city apparently feels this is the way to go, so I have to look at it with optimism and hope it is the correct step. Hopefully, it will have an impact. Personally, I feel the problem on Commodore Circle is a lot deeper than that.” And Gloria Wheeler, president of the Village Court Condominium Assn., said, “I’ve been playing with this for 4 1/2 years. Prices have gone down, down. I’m sorry I have to feel this way, but the problems of Commodore Circle cannot be solved with the same breed of people living there.”
“I feel sorry for the people living there, where are they going to go?” Wheeler said. “I feel sorry for the owners, too. They have some unrealistic dreams facing them--more nightmares than they know. I’m just tired of fighting it and City Hall and living next to the worst ghetto in Orange County.”
Spencer added that he is confident officials of the Department of Housing and Urban Development will “accept this week’s council action. We will work like mad to make this work.”
