Cleaning Up a Blighted Area

Cockroach-infested apartments and substandard living conditions have long plagued Buena Park’s Jackson-Fillmore neighborhood. At one apartment, city building inspector Mike Hudson found dry rot, a gas leak, broken windows and holes in the walls among dozens of violations.

“I would not let my own dog live in there,” Hudson said.

But through an intensive effort--some 900 inspections in eight months--Hudson and other code enforcers are beginning final reviews of the two-block area of apartment buildings.

It is part of a coordinated effort with police and other city, county, state and federal agencies to rid the neighborhood of the crime and blight that have festered for too long and to raise living conditions.

The purpose of the project is to “make it a happy and safe area for our residents,” said Margaret Riley, the city’s code enforcement manager.

Since April, Hudson and his colleagues--accompanied by police--have inspected and reinspected the 248 units a number of times, typically finding new violations with each visit. Now they are taking property owners to task, bringing them to court if repairs aren’t made.

The apartments were originally developed by one owner in 1963. Now there are 42 owners, and they have formed a property owners association to qualify for government grants. So far, the group has picked up two grants totaling $384,195 to improve alleys and other public areas, and the Orange County Community Development Council is providing trained workers at no cost to perform minor apartment repairs.

Residents see the changes. Sofas and trash in alleys, for instance, no longer block garages, and officers patrolling on bicycles have helped to cut in half the number of calls for police help.

On Wednesday, Hudson inspected 64 units. At one, he ticked off items that were not completed since his previous inspection. “This battery is dead. It’s also in the living room and it should be in the hallway,” he said, poking at a lifeless smoke alarm.”

He walked to the kitchen. “The exposed fan under the grease hood. The wire is already exposed to the grease; it can catch fire and it’s a life-safety item,” he pointed out.

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Ana Cholo-Tipton can be reached at (714) 966-5912.