San Jose reconsiders blight mitigation, report due in the fall
SAN JOSE, Calif. - For some South Bay residents, Downtown San Jose’s gritty pockets have become a sign something has to change with how the city deals with the nagging problem of blighted properties.
"Building like this," said life-long San Jose resident, Jamie, as he pointed to the First Church of Christ Scientist, "…They should do something about it and not just let it sit there for years."
The church, the old Greyhound bus station, and East San Fernando Street, between 2nd & 3rd are all spots that have become eyesores many people said screamed for attention.
"It’s a shame that it looks like that. It seems like it ought to be restored," said Holly, as she walked near Santa Clara County Family Court, across the street from the church. "It is a blight on the scenery and it might be dangerous inside." Added land use consultant Bob Staedler, "We’re all trying to dig out of a hole post-COVID, and getting rid of blight is probably one of the best things we could do for economic development."
The path to permanently removing the boards, broken glass and fencing that’s become commonplace at some spots has been wrought with problems. More than three years ago, a large fire ripped through a restaurant and retail space on San Fernando Street. Some of the businesses had already been shuttered due to the COVID pandemic. None reopened.
The owner of the church, Z & L Properties, apparently had reneged on promises of redevelopment. The city is imposing fines of one-thousand dollars per day.
Staedler said the city should sharpen its claws.
"Why don’t we ask the experts in the field what do they need? How do other cities handle this?," he said.
Steadler suggested the city impose a tiered blight tax, or allocating more money for code enforcement.
Last year, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan pushed through council an increase in blight fines. The $100,000 maximum is now up to $500,000.
"We are still not seeing nearly enough accountability for absentee property owners," the mayor wrote in an emailed statement to KTVU. "It’s time to shake up the code enforcement function at City Hall and ensure we are fully leveraging the powers of our City Attorney’s office."
Officials said the city manager is due to submit a report on revamping code enforcement in December.
Jesse Gary is a reporter based in the station's South Bay bureau. Follow him on Instagram, @jessegontv and on Facebook, @JesseKTVU
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