LAKEPORT — A home in Soda Bay that has reportedly been a nuisance for many years is in the final steps of being abated and demolished after a vote by the Lake County Board of Supervisors (BOS) Tuesday.
The home, located at 6488 Soda Bay Road, which is across the street from the Soda Bay Market, has been problematic for years, according to Community Development Director Rick Coel. He said a code enforcement case has been open against the property owner since 2006.
Coel said varying degrees of noncompliance have been found on the property, including transients camping onsite, repeated fires being started inside the vacant home, a hole in the home”s roof from tree damage dating back to 2006, mold issues, a vermin problem and a large amount of trash and debris strewn about the property.
Coel said the property is a substandard dwelling unfit for occupancy, with the plumbing and electricity in need of repair. Nearby property owners claimed the home has become a mecca for drugs, leading many to feel unsafe in their homes.
One woman said the Lake County Sheriff”s Office (LCSO) has increased patrols and it has not stopped drug sales from occurring. Others were also very concerned with transients repeatedly setting fires inside the vacant home, worrying that the blazes could get out of control and quickly engulf the neighborhood.
Supervisors Anthony Farrington and Rob Brown said they had toured the property. Farrington said it was “the greatest eyesore in Soda Bay” and Brown agreed.
Coel said a notice of nuisance and order to abate was posted at the property on Nov. 30. The property was subsequently red-tagged for the second time with a “do not occupy” notice. The notice and order were confirmed to have been received on Dec. 5.
Based on Chapter 13 of the Lake County Code, the property owner has 30 days to abate the nuisances. Coel said in his staff report that it is unlikely the property owner will take any action to fix the nuisance conditions and asked the BOS to set the abatement deadline as Jan. 5.
The BOS unanimously adopted the order to abate the property by Jan. 5, with all costs associated with the case charged to the property owner.
Coel said the property would be cleaned up and the building would be demolished if the nuisance abatement process goes through.
Kevin N. Hume can be reached at kevin.n.hume@gmail.com or call directly 263-5636 ext. 14.
