REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
DATE: 09/15/2021
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Planning and Development Department
SUBJECT:
Title
Request from City Council Member Steiner to receive a report on the commercial property located at the northeast corner of Main Street and Parkridge Avenue.
End
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The commercial property located at the northeast corner of Main Street and Parkridge Avenue consists of several parcels totaling 9.61 acres. The parcels are owned by three different entities and over time the condition of the properties have deteriorated.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommended action
That the City Council receive and file the report.
Body
BACKGROUND:
Council Member Steiner requested that staff provide information on the properties located at the northeast corner of Main Street and Parkridge Avenue. The reason for the request is to provide an understanding on the ownership of the properties and the City’s code compliance efforts throughout the years.
Site History
The site consists of seven separate parcels that total 9.61 acres. The parcels were initially created to establish a commercial center that was constructed in 1979. Multiple buildings occupy the site with some of the buildings demolished over time. The majority of the site contains vacant buildings with one building located at 835 N. Main Street occupied with three tenants.
The parcels are owned by three different entities, and the buildings located on the parcels are operated independently by the respective owners. However, the parcels do share reciprocal access from the driveways on Main Street and Parkridge Avenue and the parking lot. Information regarding the ownership of the parcels is provided in the following table.
|
|
Owner |
Address |
APN |
Size |
Status |
|
1. |
E. Scott Johnson |
835 N. Main Street |
122-120-018 |
1.01 acres |
Occupied Commercial Building |
|
2. |
Wong Fratris Inv Co |
821 N. Main Street |
122-140-008 |
3.01 acres |
Vacant Commercial Building |
|
3. |
Wong Fratris Inv Co |
839 N. Main Street |
122-120-016 |
0.39 acres |
Vacant Restaurant Building |
|
4. |
Frontera |
829 N. Main Street |
122-120-015 |
1.93 acres |
Vacant (previous building demolished) |
|
5. |
Wong Fratris Inv Co |
827 N. Main Street |
122-120-014 |
2.56 acres |
Vacant Commercial Building |
|
6. |
Frontera |
819 N. Main Street |
122-120-017 |
0.40 acres |
Vacant |
|
7. |
Wong Fratris Inv Co |
813 N. Main Street |
122-140-007 |
0.31 acres |
Vacant Restaurant Building |
|
Total |
|
|
|
9.61 acres |
|
The properties were previously part of the City’s Redevelopment Project Area. The City’s former Redevelopment Agency purchased parcel 122-120-015 (1.93 acres) in 1988, as part of an effort to assemble parcels to promote the redevelopment of the project area. The building on the parcel was previously occupied by SavOn Drug Store. After SavOn vacated the building, the City’s Redevelopment Agency purchased the property.
On February 1, 2012, California Redevelopment Agencies were dissolved due to the passage of Assembly Bill 26 (AB 26). As part of the Redevelopment Agency dissolution, Redevelopment Agencies throughout the state were required to dispose of all Agency owned real property assets. The City’s Successor Agency to the former Redevelopment Agency sold the property to Frontera in September 2014. Frontera eventually demolished the building and the parcel remains void of any structure.
Since 2004, the City’s Code Compliance Division has contacted the property owners on several occasions to maintain the property. The types of enforcement included removing abandoned vehicles, homeless encampments, trash and debris, landscape debris, overgrown vegetation, graffiti, and securing the vacant buildings from transients. The City’s last documented enforcement with the property owners was in 2020.
North Main Street Specific Plan
The site is within the North Main Street Specific Plan and zoned Mixed Use (MU). The MU zone allows opportunities for commercial uses to be combined with residential and non-residential land uses such as office, retail, business services, personal services, and other similar uses.
Redevelopment of certain properties have occurred over time in the vicinity of this site. Most recently was the rehabilitation of the former K-Mart/Sears property located at the southeast corner of Main Street and Parkridge Avenue. This building was constructed in the 1980s. In 2018, the property owner divided the building into four tenant spaces to attract new businesses and rehabilitated the exterior with architectural enhancements. New building square footage was added to provide smaller in-line tenant spaces and a freestanding restaurant with drive-through services. The parking lot was also repaved which included new striping and landscaping. The property was redeveloped entirely by the owner of the property.
New construction is also occurring at the northwest corner of Main Street and Parkridge Avenue. This site will consist of a car wash and two freestanding commercial buildings that will contain eating establishments. This property is being developed entirely by the owner of the property.
ANALYSIS:
Over the years, the City’s Economic Development Department has engaged with Mr. Wong, the property owner with the majority of the holdings, to determine his interest in redeveloping the property along with the other property owners within the center. Mr. Wong continues to express interest in redeveloping the site, but the timing for redevelopment is unknown. Ultimately, all three properties owners will need to collaborate on the ultimate development of the site or negotiate on the purchase of properties within the center.
The redevelopment of aging properties can be slow especially when multiple owners are involved. In the meantime, the property owners are required to maintain the properties. To date, the property owners have been responsive to the City’s Code Compliance Division and continue to address immediate concerns on the property.
PREPARED BY: JOANNE COLETTA, PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
Attachment:
1. Exhibit 1 - Location map