BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) — A Bakersfield property that has drawn repeated complaints and two recent fires remains under active Code Enforcement review, with city officials saying the process to secure and demolish parts of the site could still take months.
The property, located along Belle Terrace, has been the subject of nine Code Enforcement cases over the past two years. Three of those cases remain active, including efforts to secure the main home and demolish a fire-damaged structure.
City officials said more than $6,600 in administrative and contractor costs have already been added to the property’s tax roll.
For homeowner Susan Williams, who lives next door, the ongoing process has been frustrating.
“I just want to feel safe in my own home,” Williams said.
One reason the case has taken longer, city officials said, is that the property owner is deceased.
Code Enforcement Manager Jose Gonzalez said that does not change the city’s legal process, but it can make it harder to move quickly because there is no responsive owner to work with.
“So when it comes to someone that’s deceased, it really doesn’t change our process. The only thing that it does, it could delay a quick response to a resolution there,” Gonzalez said.
When there is no responsive owner, Gonzalez said the city must move through a series of enforcement steps that can include notices, reinspection’s, hearings and eventually hiring contractors to address the property.
The city said contractors have already been used twice at the site.
Demolishing the fire-damaged structure requires additional steps. Gonzalez said the city must complete required notices, determine whether asbestos is present and address any hazardous material before demolition can begin.
“So, the demolition of the garage could actually take from the initial stage, could take about three or four months,” Gonzalez said.
The Bakersfield Fire Department is also monitoring the safety concerns tied to the property.
Fire Department PIO Alexander Clark said repeated fires can weaken a structure and make it more dangerous for firefighters to enter.
“When you go in and there’s a fire multiple times, and the structural components of that building have been burned away, there’s more likely a chance for the roof to collapse, for the walls to fall in,” Clark said.
Williams said she and her neighbors are still waiting to see a lasting change.
“All I really want is for them to pay attention and take care of business. Treat everybody the same,” Williams said.
The city said the property remains an active case and that efforts to secure the site and move the demolition process forward are continuing.
The Bakersfield Fire Department said the cause of both fires remains under investigation.