City Takes on Cannabis Kings and Red Tag Bandits
Will Elected Officials Allow Developers to Do Whatever They Want for a Small Fee?
On the face of things, it just looked like a crew of corner-cutting, scofflaw real estate types from an outfit called West Bluff Capital got dragged before the City Council by a couple of upright, uptight solid citizen types for totally renovating an Upper East house without getting necessary permits. West Bluff had, in fact, gotten a permit to replace the roof. But along the way, they totally remodeled the interior of a home built in 1953 by the guy who created Loreto Plaza. They added a front deck that the neighbors complain invades their privacy. And they replaced the wooden garage door with a frosted-glass model that sprays nighttime light on innocent passersby. There were lots of other little things, too, that, combined, violated the integrity of what experts call “mid-century design.”
In July, city inspectors were alerted. West Bluff was ordered to stop. They didn’t. Then the inspectors affixed a red tag stop-work order to the front door. The red tag was removed so real estate agents could show the property. Work resumed. That seriously pissed off the inspectors, who then red-tagged the house again. They also called the City Attorney, who commenced legal action.
Ultimately, West Bluff managed to secure permits — after the fact — for the work it had already done. It had to pay a fine of $250. Two neighbors flipped their corks. One is a structural engineer who created four companies — all of which, it turns out, use caustic acids. He himself spent eight months getting a permit to redo his own roof. The other is a former El Presidente of Fiesta. They were so mad they appealed West Bluff’s after-the-fact permits. Do rules mean nothing? they demanded. Are there no consequences for violating rules and regulations? they asked the council.
