SAN CLEMENTE : Illegal Construction Policy to be Weighed

City planners hope that a policy going before the City Council tonight will slow the construction of illegal housing units in overpopulated, low-income neighborhoods.

Planners would be able to challenge blueprints that contain extra rooms with outside access and plumbing that could easily be converted into illegal living quarters.

Under the proposed ordinance, builders would either have to remove the plumbing and access from plans or specify that the room would not be rented out as living space. The council will also look at a zoning change that would spell out the nature of living quarters.

“In the past, our definitions were not really exact,” said Bob Goldin, deputy city planner. “We hope these measures will help limit illegal conversions.”

In recent years, city residents have complained about bootleg units in the downtown area about one to three blocks west of El Camino Real.

Overcrowding in apartments and condominiums made parking scarce on neighborhood streets, Goldin said. Many dwellings are poorly maintained and badly in need of paint while trash has accumulated in yards and on curbs.

The city responded by hiring an additional code enforcement officer who handles overcrowding complaints. City officials also initiated a Neighborhood Pride program that provides paint and crews to clean up blighted areas.