The purpose of this Chapter is to ensure all vacant and boarded
buildings comply with minimum property maintenance requirements, to
encourage proactive and preventive maintenance of properties, to ensure
maintenance issues are quickly and efficiently remedied, and to promote
the health, safety, and welfare of the people of the City of Palm
Springs.
(Ord. 2032 § 2, 2020)
If any provision of this Ordinance and Chapter is found to be
unconstitutional or otherwise invalid by any court of competent jurisdiction,
that invalidity will not affect the remaining provisions of this Ordinance
and Chapter, which can be implemented without the invalid provisions,
and to this end, the provisions of this Ordinance are declared to
be severable.
(Ord. 2032 § 2, 2020)
As used in this Chapter, the following terms and phrases are
defined as follows:
"Active construction"
means that (i) construction activity is taking place at a
property without any pause, interruption, or suspension greater in
duration than 45 days, and (ii) the owner, owner of record, or a duly
authorized agent, servant, assign, employee, or contractor acting
or providing services on behalf thereof, is on-site at a property
that is under construction, actively engaged in construction, maintenance,
demolition, or related administrative activity, without any pause,
interruption, or suspension greater in duration than 15 days.
"Blight" or "blighted property"
means any one or more of the following conditions or activities:
(1)
Abandoned Building or Structure.
(i)
A building or structure which is not being inhabited, occupied,
or used and which is unsecured. For purposes of this Chapter, a building
or structure is unsecured when the public can gain entry without the
consent of the owner.
(ii)
A partially constructed, reconstructed, or demolished building
or structure upon which work is abandoned. Work is deemed abandoned
when there is no valid and current building or demolition permit,
or when there has not been any substantial work on the project for
a period of six months or more.
(2)
Attractive Nuisance. Property which is in an unsecured state
so as to potentially constitute an attraction to children, a harbor
for vagrants, criminals, or other unauthorized persons, or so as to
enable persons to use the property for the purpose of committing a
nuisance or unlawful act.
(3)
A building or structure which is in a state of disrepair:
(i)
Exterior wall and/or roof coverings which have become deteriorated
and do not provide adequate weather protections, resulting in termite
infestation and/or dry rot.
(ii)
Broken or missing windows or doors which constitute a hazardous
condition or a potential attraction to trespassers.
(iii)
Building exteriors, walls, fences, signs, retaining walls, driveways,
walkways, sidewalks, or other structures on the property which are
broken, deteriorated, or substantially defaced, to the extent that
the disrepair is visible from any public right-of-way or visually
impacts neighboring public or private property or presents an endangerment
to public safety.
(iv)
Building exteriors, walls, fences, signs, retaining walls, driveways,
walkways, sidewalks, or other structures on the property which have
been repainted in such a manner that the appearance may be further
deteriorated or substantially defaced.
(4)
Property Inadequately Maintained.
(i)
Overgrown, diseased, dead, or decayed trees, weeds, or vegetation
that: (1) are likely to harbor rats, pigeons, vermin, and other nuisances;
or (2) substantially detract from the aesthetic and property values
of neighboring properties; or (3) constitute a fire hazard or other
condition that is dangerous to the public health, safety, or welfare;
or (4) are likely to attract use as shelter by transients.
(ii)
Solid waste, which includes "garbage," "refuse," and "rubbish,"
and all "solid waste" as may be defined in this Code, constitutes
blight and blighted property in the following situations: (1) the
accumulation of solid waste is visible from a street or public right-of-way,
is not enclosed in a Cityapproved container, and is present for more
than 72 consecutive hours; or (2) the accumulation of solid waste
is being stored or disposed of in a manner that would allow the material
to be transported by wind or otherwise onto or upon any public street,
public right-of-way, or neighboring property, unless the method of
storage or disposal is specifically allowed by this Code.
(5)
Any swimming pool, pond, or other body of water which is abandoned,
unattended, unfiltered, drained with no cover to prevent the existence
of a hazard, or not otherwise maintained, resulting in polluted water.
"Polluted water" is defined for the purpose of this Chapter, as water
which contains organic growth, including algae, remains of rubbish,
refuse, debris, papers, and any other foreign matter or materials,
which, because of its nature or locations, constitutes an unhealthy
or unsafe condition.
"Building"
means any structure, including, but not limited to, any residential,
commercial, industrial, or assembly structure, approved for occupancy
on either a lot of record or within a single project approved by the
City pursuant to the City's Zoning Code.
"Commercial properties"
means all properties in the City that are not developed for
solely single family residential uses. The term "commercial properties"
includes apartment buildings that include five or more rental units.
"Development related agreement"
means an agreement between the City and at least one other
person or entity whereby an owner secures the authorization and approval
of the City, whether through a duly authorized written contract, or
via a land use permit or entitlement approval, to pursue a development
or redevelopment project at a property where one or more abandoned
buildings or structures, and/or vacant building is located.
"Downtown/uptown"
means the area bounded by Vista Chino on the north, Palm
Canyon Drive (Vista Chino to Alejo Road) and Belardo Road (Alejo Road
to Ramon Road) on the west, Ramon Road on the south, and Indian Canyon
Drive on the east, including that portion west of Belardo Road extending
to Museum Drive and located north of Tahquitz Canyon Way. This definition
includes those properties located on either side of those streets
establishing the boundary defined herein, but excluding the east side
of Indian Canyon Drive between Alejo Road and Ramon Road.
"Enforcement official"
means the City Manager, Building Official, the Chief of Police,
the Fire Chief, or their respective designees.
"Evidence of vacancy"
means any building in the context of the totality of circumstances
that would lead a reasonable Enforcement Official to believe that
the building is vacant or occupied by a person without a legal right
of occupancy. Such real property conditions include, but are not limited
to: overgrown or dead vegetation; accumulation of newspapers, circulars,
flyers, or mail; past due utility notices or disconnected utilities;
accumulation of trash, junk, or debris; the absence of window coverings
such as curtains, blinds, or shutters; the absence of furnishings
or personal items consistent with residential habitation; or statements
by neighbors, passersby, delivery agents, or government employees
that the property is vacant.
"Historic building or site"
means any building, structure, or site previously designated as a "Class 1" historic structure or site by the City Council pursuant to the provisions of Chapter
8.05 of this Code, which building or site is not located on lands owned by the United States for the benefit of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, one of its members, any member of any other federally recognized Indian tribe, or subject to a restriction against alienation imposed by the United States.
"Local"
means within 40 driving miles of the building, structure,
or real property in question.
"Out of area"
means in excess of 40 road or driving miles of the building,
structure, or real property in question.
"Owner"
means any person having legal or equitable title or any interest
in real property, including all persons shown as owners on the last
equalized assessment roll of the RiversideCounty Assessor's Office.
An owner includes a person with power of attorney, an executor of
estate, trustee, or who is a court appointed administrator, conservator,
guardian, or receiver.
"Person"
means any natural person, partnership of any kind, corporation,
limited liability company, association, joint venture, or other organization,
however formed, as well as trustees, heirs, executors, administrators,
or assigns, or any combination of such persons.
"Property improvement program" or "PIP"
means a program that allows artwork or other approved displays
to be installed by the City within Downtown/Uptown, or such other
geographic areas of the City determined by the City Manager, chosen
as an alternative pursuant to this Chapter to provide window coverings
for the storefronts of vacated commercial buildings or portions thereof.
Each PIP will be approved by the City Manager and administered by
the Community and Economic Development Department. Owners of vacated
commercial buildings which have windows visible from the public right-of-way
within the area of the PIP or can be seen by the public shall participate
in the PIP upon registration of the vacant building as prescribed
in this Chapter. A copy of each PIP shall be made available in the
Office of the City Clerk.
"Vacant building"
means a building where at least 35% of the total floor area
within the building is not lawfully occupied.
(Ord. 2032 § 2, 2020)