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Some Corrales residents say they have reached a breaking point with what they consider a nuisance property at 744 Old Church Road.
During the Corraleños Forum at the Sept. 9 Village Council meeting, several residents spoke out on the property, which they say has gotten out of control and now presents a safety hazard.
Amy Clement said that when she bought property in Corrales in 2010, she noted that the neighbors had some unused vehicles and tires.
“And we just thought, OK, that’s part of the charm of Corrales,” Clement said. “Now, 15 years later, it has just accumulated and accumulated and accumulated.”
She said the Palisades Fire, which struck Los Angeles County in January, made her and others more aware of the danger the debris could pose.
“When I talked to some people in the fire world, they said those vehicles and tires will burn for a long, long time,” Clement said.
She said she and some neighbors are trying to put together a presentation to bring to the council.
“We’ve been taking drone pictures, but they’re probably obsolete now, because every day, more and more comes,” Clement said.
The neighbors say the property had been in a less-improved state for about 30 years, but recently, more vehicles have shown up on the site, bringing homeless people who squat in them and have no access to restrooms or electricity.
Pamela Whitney told councilors the neighbors want to see a “clean and lien” action, whereby the village would clear the site and bill the property owner the service.
Another neighbor said the group holds no ill will toward the property owner, but that the village has rules everyone needs to follow.
Fire Chief Anthony Martinez said tire fires can last a day or more and are particularly difficult to put out, and crews are typically forced to take defensive stances and focus on protecting other structures.
Rachel Matthew Development owns a parcel adjacent to the land in question. At the Sept. 9 meeting, councilors approved a rezoning that will allow the firm to erect an office building there.
Steve Nakamura of Rachel Matthew Development said the plan is for an to go up on the site. He said the company spent just under $100,000 to clean up its property and shares the concerns of other neighbors and village staff.
Nakamura said some residents of the village have gotten the impression that Rachel Matthew Development owns the blighted parcel.
“We don’t own that piece, and we are Corrales people,” he said. “We feel the same way that everybody else in the village feels, and we’d like to see it cleaned up.”
Planning and zoning administrator Laurie Stout said she’s talked with an attorney about the “best and most expeditious path forward path forward” to a resolution. She told councilors there are several legal questions to deal with, including the eviction of the squatters.
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