BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — On Wednesday, following the swearing-in of new councilmembers, the Bakersfield City Council held a meeting where they approved an ordinance, introduced by Ward 4 representative and newly-elected Vice Mayor Andrae Gonzales, that will make the owners of vacant buildings responsible for dealing with issues that arise on their properties in a timely manner.
Downtown Bakersfield is a popular spot for restaurants, entertainment, and stores. However, some vacant buildings have become eyesores, and the lack of oversight has caused conditions that have led to several recent fires. 23ABC spoke with Gonzales to find out more about how the ordinance will improve not only the appearance of the city, but public safety as well.
On Wednesday evening, the city took action by approving an ordinance requiring the owners of these buildings to handle property upkeep.
"These vacant buildings are problematic," said Gonzales. "They are nuisances for the adjacent property owners, for people who are trying to enjoy downtown Bakersfield. It is unfair in my mind to see how adjacent properties have no requirement to take care of their property and just allow their property to deteriorate and to decline year after year."
Gonzales proposed the ordinance, and he says that many of Bakersfield's vacant properties are owned by people who don't live here.
The City Council's administrative report on the matter states that vacant buildings must be secured against unlawful entry and posted with city-approved 'No Trespassing' signs.
Additionally, owners of fire-damaged buildings must either obtain a demolition permit or submit an application for a fire rehabilitation permit within 90 days of the fire.
"If they are not going to sell their building, if they are not going to lease it, they're going to have to keep it up. They're going to have to maintain it at a certain level," said Gonzales. "If we don't do that, it's going to be so much harder to revitalize downtown in the longer term."
Koral Hancharick, Executive Director of the Buena Vista Museum downtown adds that vacant buildings not only look bad to any residents visiting the downtown area, they're also an issue for neighboring businesses.
"They [the owners of vacant buildings] need to step up to the plate. Just because they don't live in the town that's being affected, their property is still causing issues with the other property owners around them," said Hancharick. "It's very difficult because we can't actually do anything about the properties next door to us because they belong to somebody else."
Hancharick adds that as a result of fires at vacant properties nearby the museum, her insurance costs have also become a concern.
"It's not just you have insurance and it's covered. It's not, because we have a deductible to pay, and as a nonprofit, that was very difficult for us to handle," said Hancharick.
Gonzales says he believes the approval of this ordinance is a step in the right direction, but he also believes there is still a lot of work that needs to be done towards creating and maintaining Bakersfield as a safe city and a desirable place to live, work, and play.
