BUENA PARK : Council to Decide Fate of 2 Properties

Two residential properties on Western Avenue could be demolished if the City Council rules tonight that the structures are a public nuisance.

Since February, city building officials have been working to get the owners of the duplex and single-family homes at 6445 and 6465 Western Ave. to correct several health and safety code violations, officials said.

The owners have been cited for several problems during the past months, including failing to repair broken glass, illegal wiring and gas leaks.

Specifically, according to staff records, the duplex fails to meet safety requirements because of holes in the garage walls, broken rear windows and water heaters that are not strapped to the building wall.

The single-family home has holes in exterior siding, illegal exterior extension cords, illegal florescent light fixtures at the rear porch and a water heater that is not strapped to the wall, according to the reports. The reports also said that the buildings are “unsightly, structurally unsafe, a fire menace, lack preventive maintenance and constitute a . . . nuisance.”

If properties are declared a public nuisance, the owners must correct the violations or demolish the building within 30 days. If no action is taken, the city will tear the buildings down.

The public hearing is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the council chambers, 6650 Beach Blvd.