Unfinished town homes repeatedly vandalized

By: BRIAN ECKHOUSE - Staff Writer | Saturday, November 24, 2007 11:49 PM PST ∞

MURRIETA -- For weeks, some city leaders have worried that the increasing number of foreclosed homes would be subject to neglect or even vandalism.

They got a glimpse of what might be earlier this month, when several residents publicly alleged that skeletons of 16 townhouses just north of Temecula had been repeatedly burglarized over a two-year period and have become an occasional haven for vagrants.

The Warm Springs Townhomes on Torrey Pines Road are not in foreclosure, because they were never finished, city officials said.

The owner of the lot went bankrupt before the town homes were finished. The homes neighbor a community of upscale single-family homes on medium-size lots.

The units were not kept up, even with city code enforcement warning and then repeatedly citing the owner, Murrieta city and police officials said.

At least half of the residents' allegations are correct: the townhouses have been burglarized and tagged, and appear to be sites for paint-balling.

For weeks, shards of double-pane window glass rested on much of the ground surrounding the two-story townhouses, just east of Margarita Road in southern Murrieta. Some first-floor windows recently were replaced and a fence now wraps the entire property, officials said. Saturday morning, a security guard patrolled the property.

"Nobody has listened until now," said resident Pamela Pullen, 54, of the townhouses. "It had to get to the point of danger -- to the point you could see it."

Resident Silvia Provenzano, 43, no longer jogs by the property or lets her children walk by. She lives next door to the townhouses.

"This is great shelter for somebody who's trying to hide out," said Provenzano as she walked through the complex for the first time last week. "It's eerie to think who could be in here looking down at our yard."

The Lido Drive residents -- who have formed a neighborhood watch group -- say they want the townhouses bulldozed, an idea endorsed by several city leaders.

"That would be the ideal situation," said resident Georg Stoye, 69. "I had to stop walking. Why? Because I don't feel safe. I don't know who's in there."

The residents contend members of gangs have congregated at the town homes, but records indicate otherwise, said Murrieta Lt. Dennis Vrooman.

Within the last year, police officers visited the site 37 times -- 22 of which were prompted by residents' calls -- and arrested just one person for trespassing and vandalism.

"None of the calls for service have been gang-related," Vrooman said. "They have all been trespass- and vandalism-related."

Residents are particularly concerned about safety during daylight hours because the homes are within a short walk of Warm Springs Middle School, and are only partially closed in by a fence off Torrey Pines.

Patrol officers occasionally visit the homes unprompted, Vrooman said, while officers assigned to nearby schools watch the area, according to Karen Parris, the Murrieta Valley Unified School District's spokeswoman.

Murrieta officials have begun to discuss how to remove the blight from an otherwise upscale Torrey Pines Road, Deputy City Manager Jim Holston said.

"We're actively looking at a way to make the landowner responsible for clean-up fees," City Attorney Leslie Devaney said.

Coincidentally, the city has been preparing an ordinance that would make the property owner of an abandoned or vacant building -- including banks and foreclosure companies -- responsible for upkeep, Devaney said.

That ordinance is expected to come before the City Council in January.

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15 comment(s)[-]Go to Top

Now. wrote on Nov 25, 2007 5:43 AM:We are afraid of empty houses? Makes sense to me.

Alway's wondered wrote on Nov 25, 2007 9:02 AM:Wow, finally I know what is up with that eyesore. They need to get rid of them. If I had to look at that property everyday I would be calling the city everyday. Also good for city of Murrieta for preparing an ordinance to keep homes looking good in neighborhoods. I have seen alot of dead grass and trees lately with a for sale sign out front. Keep it green maybe someone will want ti buy it.

another neighbor wrote on Nov 25, 2007 9:20 AM:Thank you Pamela and Silvia for taking this story to the media! We live off Lido Drive facing these hideous monstrosities and are so happy to have neighbors who are getting active about this situation. The townhouses are an eyesore and a danger to our neighborhood and children. We have had to call the police multiple times about incidences involving the property. We feel like we live in the ghetto rather than the "upscale neighborhood" mentioned in the article!

Roy wrote on Nov 25, 2007 9:41 AM:Maybe the city should contact the present owner and make a lowball offer and turn these unfinished units into affordable housing.

Chris wrote on Nov 25, 2007 10:04 AM:Thanks for printing the State of California's hotline telephone number to report neglected pools. We have an abandoned home next door to us with a filthy 'green pool' and mosquito larvae. I have notified the City of Temecula twice but nothing has been done. Hopefully the state will come and drain it.

Landowner Advocate wrote on Nov 25, 2007 12:00 PM:Did you people not read the first part of the article. The landowner and developer went bankrupt. So yep, chasing him to pay fines and make him pay to clean up the property makes a lot of sense. Only Ray has an ounce of intelligence. The City should buy the homes (after all Cities have money to waste on enforcing stupidity) and turn them into affordable housing. Or refund the landowner the sales tax he paid on the property to help them get out of a bad situation. Oh wait, he is a landowner so therefore easy targets for a wasteful useless city.

You know what? wrote on Nov 25, 2007 12:39 PM:No one is listing even now. These people who have the responsibility to solve the issue have their our agendas. Wake up and smite them.

ROBERT wrote on Nov 25, 2007 3:21 PM:TO ALL YOU GREEDY LOAN PEOPLE ILL GIVE YOU A DOLLAR FOR THEM TOWNHOMES LMAO

Misplaced Priorities wrote on Nov 25, 2007 3:33 PM:This has been ongoing for 2 years and these residents still have to wait another 2 months for any remedial action? You'd think this problem would have gotten at least as much attention from City Hall as spreading manure on farmland.

The Wizard of Oz wrote on Nov 25, 2007 5:11 PM:Hey, wait a minute, there are no gangs in Murrieta or Temecula? Right? Ha.....put your heads back in the sand........baaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

The Wizard of Oz wrote on Nov 25, 2007 5:12 PM:On the other hand, the city could hire a private security company to control the property, if it is really such a problem........

Silver Lining wrote on Nov 25, 2007 5:38 PM:Since these are partially completed why couldn't the city donate them to the community to be converted into half-way house dorms to help those who are trying to get into them anyway?

If things get worse wrote on Nov 25, 2007 6:30 PM:with the housing market people will bail on their homes left and right in Murrieta and Temecula. The next Moreno Valley? Maybe. These cities are bedroom communities and if gas hits $4-$5 things are going to get pretty scary for those long distance commuters. I miss the good old days when $200k bought a decent house in Redhawk new. The next 5+ years are going to be interesting.

hold on to your butts wrote on Nov 26, 2007 11:04 AM:this is going to be a bumpy 3 year economic ride......

Clarree wrote on Nov 27, 2007 9:23 PM:They have truly been an eye sore but more importantly very dangerous considering that kids go to school right by it. I think it should be bought by the city the townhomes should be torn down it should be cleaned up and turned into a nice park and the rest should go to Warm Springs Middle School for future growth just like the Park over by Buchanan ELem on the other end of Torrey Pines. That area is too small for townhomes or any other homes for that matter it should have a car loop for all tha parents dropping off at the end of Torrey Pines and Silver Oaks because it gets so congested in the morning and afternoon. It is just so sad that the City has done nothing about it to protect the tax paying citizens of Murrieta!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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