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<br />"sleeping giant" with potential. He referred to his memorandum of July 8,
<br />19B2 entitled, "Redevelopment Project No. 2--Blighted Conditions (Exhibit
<br />aa), which deals with each of the four areas in Project No.2, Gateway,
<br />Centre, Marina and Seaport, describing the characteristics of each and
<br />pointing out defective layout, inappropriate land uses, and unusual and
<br />inhibiting conditions. He used as an example the block bounded on one side
<br />by the 2600 Block of Broadway and the 700 Block of El Camino Real (the
<br />Gateway area) which suffers a high vacancy rate and where atypical uses
<br />exist, discouraging healthy colIIDercial investment. The "Centre" area is the
<br />oldest part of town and includes Main Street, and while there has been some
<br />spot development of the prime locations, what remains are pockets of small
<br />pieces of parcels, some withou t access, and so there is no uniformity in the
<br />development approach. The "Marina" area consists of property on which are
<br />situated the old, phased-out sewage treatment plant, County jail facilities,
<br />as well as the Marina, and access is difficult. The "Seaport" area is a body
<br />of land where salt pond s have existed over mny years and the so il is
<br />unusuable in its present state for m::>st purposes, and access is poor, the
<br />main approach being Seaport Boulevard, which until only recently was a
<br />private road but is now public and therefore has the opportunity to be
<br />improved.
<br />
<br />In response to question by Council, Mr. Schroeter indicated that as a city
<br />ages, approximately 2% of its building stock becomes deteriorated or obsolete
<br />annually to the point that it should not be used so that in a period of fifty
<br />years all of the city's housing and colIIDercial stock would deteriora te to the
<br />extent it would be unusable unless there is an ongoing program of
<br />rehabilitation.
<br />
<br />Harold Yoakum, Fire Marshal, referred to his memorandum dated June 21, 1982
<br />to the Director of Fire Services regarding the Redevelopment Project, entered
<br />into the record at the public hearing on June 21, 1982 (Exhibit g), which
<br />describes for each of the four areas the existing conditions as they relate
<br />to fire safety, and which he read aloud in full. In response to questions by
<br />Council, Mr. Yoakum advised that the existing 16" water min in the Seaport
<br />area is adequate for existing development, but suggested it is not sufficient
<br />in the event of further development.
<br />
<br />In response to questions by City Attorney Schricker, Mr. Yoakum referred to
<br />the map attached to the Draft EIR for the Project designated as Project Area
<br />A-"Gateway", and indicated that in that project area, along Broadway and El
<br />Camino Real, approximately 90% of the buildings would present a fire problem;
<br />that in the project area shown on Map B "Centre", where there is continuoos
<br />style construction, 80% to 90% of the buildings are estimated to be a fire
<br />problem and below present Code standards.
<br />
<br />Wes Malkellnls, Chief Building Official, advised that during the period since
<br />the opening of the public hearing (on June 21, 1982) he has made in spec tions
<br />of nearly all buildings within the "Gateway" and "Centre" project areas, and
<br />researched historical records of the area. He advised that he will be
<br />presenting and colIIDenting on a series of photographs showing typical
<br />conditions of the buildings, as well as photographs pulled from earlier files
<br />showing blighted conditions that are not necessarily of the project areas,
<br />but depict problems that are typical in those areas. He noted that there are
<br />basically four kinds of construction typical to the two areas: unreinforced
<br />masonry construction, wood frame construction, concrete construction poured
<br />in place, and tilt-up pre-cast masonry units. He stated that approximately
<br />30% of the buildings in the two areas are of unreinforced msonry
<br />construction, which in the opinion of structural engineers is the IIDst
<br />hazardous from the standpoint of seismic resistance, although all four types
<br />named are inadequate. As examples of recent construc tion failures he named
<br />the Bank of America building on El Camino Real and the Poole warehouse.
<br />
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<br />
<br />Mr. Malkellnls responded to questions by Council regarding procedures in the
<br />event of fire, earthquake or other events that cause damage to these
<br />substandard buildings, that where the Building Department becomes involved
<br />with a building because of damage, or fire or rem:>deling, the three
<br />alterna tives are demolition, m:>ving the building out of town, or re stora tion.
<br />He noted that prior to 1934 there were no Codes regulating masonry
<br />construction. Since that time there has been increasing concern to upgrade
<br />those regulations, each time there is some event that adds more knowledge
<br />during the investigation process.
<br />
<br />Redev /Council
<br />7/13/82
<br />Page 3
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