San Jose mayor seeks to increase fines for owners of blighted properties
SAN JOSE, Calif. - San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan and other city leaders on Thursday announced a new plan of attack against owners of blighted properties: A five-fold increase in fines.
"What should be a source of civic pride, that’s turned, frankly, into an embarrassment," Mahan said in front of the tarp-covered First Church of Christian Scientist.
Other city leaders also had terse words.
"This could be a showcase for the city. And people are so used to seeing this building as a pile of trash bags," said Ben Leach, executive director of the Preservation Action Council of San Jose.
Since mid-June, the city has been fining the property’s owner, Z & L Properties, a $1,000 per day. That’ll soon max out at $100,000.
"We’ve seen no indication from Z &L Properties that these fines are having an impact," Mahan said.
The mayor, along with District 3 Councilman Omar Torrez, wants the fine limit increased to $500,000.
"I will not allow this historically significant property to continue to deteriorate," Torrez said.
The church was built in 1905, but a move by the original congregation left the building abandon in 1975. It's sat dormant through the decades, one owner after another had promised renewal.
"There’s a beautiful building underneath there," Leach said.
Z & L Properties is the latest with grand plans. The company’s successes are juxtaposed with a lack of progress at the old bus station and the church.
City officials say the COVID-19 pandemic, and legal woes for its CEO, haven’t helped. The resulting malaise is hurting area residents and businesses.
"It’s probably impacted our business a little bit. Nobody really wants to come down and park around the neighborhood, and take a look at what’s behind us," said Greg Baumann, owner of nearby Teske’s Germania restaurant.
Other residents agree.
"We’d like to get the city nice and clean so that people want to come do their conferences here, do their shopping here," Elizabeth Chien-Hale, a downtown resident told KTVU.
San Jose's Rules & Open Government Committee could approve the mayor’s request Aug. 30, and increase the fine maximum to $500,000.
"We all deserve a safe, clean, city," Mahan said. "But it won’t happen unless each of us does our part."
Jesse Gary is a reporter based in the station's South Bay bureau. Follow him on Twitter, @JesseKTVU and on Instagram, @jessegontv