(November 8) In a relatively rare move, the county is expending $51,000 to raze seven dilapidated houses in unincorporated areas deemed to represent safety hazards.
According to Tom Hudson, the director of the county’s land use services division “the structures and improvements on the subject parcels are substandard, are a threat to public health and safety, and the properties constitute a public nuisance.”
The properties in question are located at 15348 Athol Street in the Fontana area, 22825 Juniper Lane in the Valley of Enchantment; 23542 Crest Forest Drive in Crestline; at 31410 Ocean View Drive, 30827 Live Oak Drive and 30738 Live Oak Drive in Running Springs; and at 35155 Vista Road in Cedarpines Park.
Hudson said his department “has determined by inspection that the privately-owned structures located on the properties are substandard buildings as defined by San Bernardino County Code section 63.0603, and has ordered the structures rehabilitated or demolished.” He said he has also personally “determined by inspection that the properties maintain substandard conditions as defined by San Bernardino County Code section 63.0604,” and that he has ordered the substandard conditions be abated. Pursuant to county code, the owner of record and other interested parties have been notified of the violations and ordered to abate via a notice of defects and a notice of action filed with the county recorder. All property owners of record, current and past, and other interested parties as shown on the title report (banks, mortgage holders, etc.) have been sent notices of defects by  regular and certified mail, and each property has a notice of action which is filed with the recorder, along with the notice of defects, when the case is opened. Both notices, along with appeals information, are also physically posted on each property. Additionally, once board action is taken, at least one additional notice will be issued to the address of record, providing the required legal notice of the pending action. Despite the numerous notifications, the owners of record have failed to rehabilitate or demolish the structures or abate the violations. The structures are unoccupied and are unfit to be occupied, and require demolition by a county-appointed private contractor.”
Hudson said the county will “terminate all proceedings in the event that a property owner rehabilitates or demolishes the structure(s) and improvements prior to commencement of demolition proceedings by a county-appointed contractor.”
A request for proposals soliciting bids from qualified contractors was issued and processed by the county purchasing department. Individual bids were reviewed and the lowest complying bid for each property was accepted, with the work being awarded to three different entities, C. R. Gann; Porter’s Firewood; and Environmental Klean-Up.
C. R. Gann  will raze the house on Athol Street for $6,800. Environmental Klean-up will demolish the  Juniper Lane house for $5,433 and the Crest Forest Drive structure for $7,712. Porter’s Firewood will demolish the Ocean View Drive Property for $9,700 and the 30827 Live Oak Drive property for $9,400. Environmental Klean-up will take down the 30738 Live Oak Drive property for $6,720 and the Vista Road property for $5,320.
While the county will cover the $51,085 up front cost of the demolitions by utilizing $10,753 in Community Development Block Grants and $40,332 in discretionary funding, all funds shall be recovered by billing the property owners and/or levying special assessments against the properties for any unpaid balance.