Landlords Clean Up Tina-Pacific Neighborhood
Residents of the Tina-Pacific neighborhood say they hardly recognize their neighborhood compared with only a few months ago.
Until about mid-September, the area’s inhabitants had to navigate through overgrown trees and shrubs on severely cracked sidewalks to reach the streets.
“There was tagging everywhere,” said Richard Tavake, 13. Trash, including mattresses and old furniture, littered the alleys.
Today, visitors find little graffiti on newly painted apartments. Old and decaying garage doors are gone. Black, shiny asphalt coats driveways and alleys, and overgrown greenery no longer clogs the sidewalks.
“It really needed some work,” said Noe Lopez, 18, a resident of the area for five years. “We appreciate what [apartment owners] are doing.”
The cleanup required organizing the 23 owners of 40 apartment complexes that house about 700 people, a feat requiring prodding by city officials. Over the summer, Tina-Pacific owners received a letter from officials, ordering them to correct violations found by building code enforcement officers or face criminal prosecution.
Derek Oatway, an owner of several Tina-Pacific apartment complexes, said that owners had previously tried to coordinate their activities but without success. “ We have a lot of owners. We’ve never been able to get enough participation,” said Oatway. “We would occasionally make progress, and then we’d lapse.”
Initially, the owners protested the city’s order. They appeared en masse at the Aug. 24 City Council meeting and said they needed more time.
The council granted a one-month extension, but when owners sought another, the council said no.
Despite the cleanup, residents say their neighborhood still needs attention. The streets and alleys could use speed bumps for children’s safety. Trash, including some abandoned furniture, is still evident. Some say they miss the trees that provided shade during the hot summer months.
City officials say they’re not done. The city, which has already fixed the cracked sidewalks, will put up security lighting, landscape and possibly make some structural improvements to the houses and garages, said Mark Lloyd, Stanton’s planning manager.
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Judy Silber can be reached at (714) 966-8988
