Neighborhood eyesores and unkempt yards have always been a source of contention for homeowners, but the opening of a new community code-enforcement storefront in Spring Valley has made it easier for East County residents to stay informed of building ordinances and settle zoning disputes.
The office, which opened last month, is the fourth of its kind in San Diego County. The others are in Fallbrook, Ramona and Bonita.
Pam Elias, the county's Code Enforcement division chief, said the county wanted a face-to-face relationship with residents. The storefront concept is modeled on the efforts of the San Diego police and sheriff's departments, which have several similar community-outreach offices in the region.
“We thought (the storefront office) would be a great idea for code enforcement,” Elias said. “We're actually the first code-enforcement group in the San Diego County region that is trying something like this.”
County Code Enforcement Community Storefront,
Spring Valley
Location: Spring Valley Community Center, 8735 Jamacha Blvd., just off state Route 125.
Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays
At the storefront: Check in at reception desk in community center lobby.
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The storefront gives residents the chance to talk to county enforcement officers stationed at the office about a variety of issues, including illegal waste accumulation, unauthorized building construction and inoperative vehicles parked on the street. Complaints of weeds and yard overgrowth are also common.
Elias said homeowners in disagreement with their neighbors over zoning issues may use the storefronts to file an official complaint or simply make inquiries regarding the legality of a possible violation before acting.
In the case of a complaint, enforcement officials will mediate the dispute. But the operation isn't strictly for whistle-blowers.
“The dialogue can be with a person who's in violation as well as someone who wants to file a complaint,” Elias said. She said the storefront offers violators the chance to discuss the codes they have broken and what steps they need to take to comply with county law.
The code-enforcement program is a division of the county Department of Planning and Land Use.
Code Enforcement Coordinator Steve Murray, who oversees operations at the storefronts, said the Spring Valley site was chosen for its central location and the area's high volume of calls.
“Here in Spring Valley, we have a lot of junk and waste cases because of the alleyways. We have a lot of inoperative vehicles,” he said.
He said the division tried to place each of the storefronts in the county's most active areas, and that Spring Valley and Ramona were among the busiest.
Before the new offices were opened, program organizers attended community-planning meetings and business-association conferences in San Diego's unincorporated communities as part of an effort to interact with residents and get the word out about the new operation.
Elias said the storefronts operate rent-free. The division uses buildings managed by the Department of Planning and Land Use, such as community centers and other public-service buildings.
“It connects us (to the community),” Murray said of the program. “Because instead of talking on the telephone, (people) have the ability to come put a face with the name here. And there's a personal interaction.”
Murray said that since its debut, the Spring Valley office has seen up to seven visitors per day.
Declan Desmond is a freelance writer in La Mesa.
