By JEFF LIPTON
Notices are expected to go out early this month to all West End property owners instructing them to “correct” their illegal rentals or face severe penalties. Landlords who are caught breaking the law will be hit with fines equal to two years' rent on those apartments, city officials said.
City Manager Charles Theofan and City Council members Mona Goodman and Lenny Remo attended the Nov. 24 meeting of the West End Neighbors Association, where they announced that their get-tough stance with landlords was drawing near. They said they would go after landlords who have illegally converted garages or basements in order to rent them out. This, they said, has made a tough parking situation even more unbearable.
The crackdown is seen as a first step toward improving the West End's ongoing parking problems. The city has also proposed establishing residential parking zones and issuing a maximum of two parking stickers per legal household, which would allow residents to park on any residential street. But the plan has drawn criticism from several homeowners whose families own more than two cars. Some West End shopkeepers also expressed dismay, fearing that they would lose business under the parking permit plan.
Goodman called the crackdown on illegal apartments “a good first step” in dealing with the shortage of parking. She said that if the plan is successful, the parking sticker proposal may be abandoned.
“I think the main idea is to cut down on the amount of cars and free up a number of parking spaces,” said Goodman of the plan to reduce the number of illegal apartments. “This could very shortly solve that.
“It may free up enough spaces that we may not have to go any further, such as with the parking decal program idea,” she added. “We'll see how well the first step goes and see if we have to go to the second step.”
Goodman said the city uses certain criteria to determine appropriate living space, and “if that criteria is not met, then it's illegal. What the city is hoping is that the penalty will be a huge deterrent. With these [illegals], there are extra cars parked on the streets.”
Goodman also said that residents who attended the Nov. 24 meeting seemed more receptive to the parking sticker plan than at previous meetings. “The city manager has said that he will explore things and not ram anything down anybody’s throat,” she said. “We will have more meetings and there will be more feedback, and this will be a collaboration with the West End community.” Joe Sinnona, a real estate agent who rents out a building on Ohio Street, said he was thrilled that the city is focusing on weeding out illegal apartments. “They are finally listening to members of the West End,” he said. “For the most part, absentee landlords will now be on guard.
“I'm not opposed to the plan,” he added. “It's a first step toward improving parking conditions. It really could work.”
Officials said they will send out notices giving illegal renters three months to rid their buildings of illegal apartments before assessing penalties. The city will rely heavily on landlords taking responsibility for converting their own illegal apartments and their neighbors turning them in. The city said it will establish an e-mail address so residents can anonymously report illegal apartments. City inspectors will also enforce the law.
“I believe if people realized that they might be facing a huge fine, they may decide to correct the problem and go forward accordingly,” said Goodman.
One resident questioned the legality of the city’s potentially knocking on doors and entering homes to check on rental units, calling the move “fascism coming to the West End.”
Sinnona, on the other hand, said he sees the crackdown as a positive. “I hope it will ease the parking crunch,” he said. “As a homeowner in the West End, I do understand the need for parking.”
Goodman, who described trying to find a parking spot in the West End as “troublesome,” said the city's aim will be to tackle parking issues throughout Long Beach. “It's a terrible problem all over town,” she said. “We want to make sure people know that we are not blindfolded and focusing on one area.”
Rick Hoffman, president of the West End Neighbors Association, some of whose members said he seemed to be pushing the parking sticker plan and not representing their wishes, said that the key to freeing up parking spaces is pursuing illegal renters. “The city going after illegal renters will help improve a number of ongoing problems,” Hoffman said.
Theofan said the city would not tolerate illegal rentals. City officials have said they have no idea how many illegal apartments there are in the West End, but Theofan said he hopes “it makes such a difference in the parking situation [and] that we can then stop there.”
Resident Margie Ciccone said she is all for the parking sticker plan, calling it “a solution that makes sense.” “I'm sincerely grateful and will support Rick Hoffman and Charles Theofan in their efforts to improve the quality of life for us West End residents,” she said. “Together we can make this work.”
Comments about this story? JLipton@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 213.
