Fallout from the Thanksgiving Day house fire on Sierra Bonita Avenue reached City Council at their meeting Monday night, and the councilmembers reviewed the city’s response with scrutiny while pushing for more action from City Hall.“I want to make sure that we know exactly what was done, when it was done, and whether or not we’ve been following our own internal procedures for addressing a problem property like this,” Councilmember John Heilman told City Manager David Wilson, who was asked to provide the council with”all the documentation” on the house at 1030 North Sierra Bonita, which had become a chronic hot spot for squatters and drug users after sitting vacant for more than a year.
WEHOonline has also requested that documentation, and the city has told us they are gathering the data.
While no one was injured in the blaze, smoke from the fire damaged an apartment next door, leaving neighbor Michael McFadden and his partner displaced from their home. Wilson noted that the two have been successfully re-located while repairs are made. No official cause for the fire has been identified.
The council zeroed in on problems with the property’s developer — FMB Development — whose ongoing negligence, neighbors believe, put them in harm’s way and threatens residents near other vacant homes it owns elsewhere in the city. The company lists six properties in development in West Hollywood on their website.
During public comment, resident Stefanie LaHart bluntly said the developer “needs to be run out of town.”
“It has been a non-stop hellhole for the past year and a half. Now we have a burned out property sitting there and we’re still wondering what’s going to happen because now we’re next to a health hazard people are having problems breathing,” LaHart said. “They’re having problems with their eyes tearing up, sneezing, coughing and we’re like still nothing is being done.”
LaHart is spearheading a grassroots response to the fire on behalf of her neighbors. She organized a face-to-face meeting with Community Safety Director Danny Rivas last week and has independently compiled a trove of information on the property, which she has published online at 1030northsierrabonita.com. Neither Rivas nor Wilson responded to WEHOonline’s requests for comment.
“I’m not living like this,” LaHart told Council.
Mayor Pro Tem John Erickson asked staff to contact the Air Quality Management District and said a demolition “should happen as soon as possible.”
Wilson said the house has been red-tagged, which gives the city the ability to order the demolition, but no timeline has been set. And while Wilson said he has a team dealing with the developers, Heilman said more enforcement is needed.
“We do have the tools to declare a property a nuisance, and pay to abate the nuisance and place a lien on the property,” Heilman said. “I haven’t seen that done recently, and I’m wondering why that tool isn’t being utilized.”
Heilman wondered what happened to the city’s Problem Properties Task Force, whose job was “to manage and to review every problem property in the city and identify what steps were going to be taken to address that,” he said.
“Is that internal task force still operating, and if it isn’t, can it be reinstituted?” Heilman asked. “Because clearly, it needs to be.”
Heilman also asked staff to draft an ordinance that would allow properties with development agreements to be demolished in a timely manner when needed, drawing applause from the audience.
“We’re very lucky that no one was injured that night. And we’ve been lucky that there have not been worse fires that could have even resulted in deaths,” said resident Rick Watts, who has repeatedly warned of the dangers posed by a similar property at 1280 Sweetzer Ave.
Wilson noted that there is an “active” code compliance case on that property and that a receiver was appointed through the court system “with the goal of rehabilitating” it.
“But I think that’s different from declaring a property a nuisance and the city coming in and paying for the mediation that has to be done,” Heilman said. “Having a receiver appointed is one of our tools, but there are other tools as well, and I think this needs to come back to us at a future meeting with what our current policies are and what are all of the tools at our disposal.”
West Hollywood could benefit greatly by Stephanie on CC if she should choose. All the elements in place. Mission 95% accomplished to date. 🏆👏👏👏
Yep, the NIMBYS were out. People who only care about what happens on their block.
The Nimbys has nothing to do with asking the city engage policies and code compliance that burned down and put people in danger. What would you recommend?
Talk is cheap folks. WE WANT ACTION! In less than 5 hours the house can be demolished, removed and the property secured. What are they waiting for? If this developer has 6 projects in WEHO they all need to be put on hold.
As the City Council Meeting ended, there they were on the ABC 11:00 News. Council in action and interviews with Stephanie LaHart and others. It would be good to see some swift follow through by the City on this avoidable and miserable event for the neighborhood.
That’s fantastic that residents got the local news involved. Nothing will light a fire under City Hall’s ass faster than negative news coverage…especially when the majority of council members are owned by the union and have ambitions for higher political office using West Hollywood as just a stepping stone. Bravo.