emagazine - August 2004 50 years of good lookin' Lakewood Neighborhoods For over fifty years, the City of Lakewood has grown and prospered. Lakewood now has a population of some 81,000, and 26,000 households. It has changed in some ways but stayed the same in the ways that are most important--especially its neighborhoods. Caring for its neighborhoods has been a community tradition from the day the first residents moved into the new homes of Lakewood in the 1950’s. Today, neighborhood values are the same, but community resources have expanded to meet changing needs. Preserving Lakewood's neighborhood quality of life
	In 2004, the city council approved a property maintenance code enforcement citation ordinance that authorizes city staff to issue "fix up" citations in stubborn cases of commercial or residential blight. Prior to adopting the ordinance, city officials approved a policy whereby citations would only be issued when three or more contacts by city staff with the property owners result in no remedial action. See the city council staff report on this issue
New residential canopy limits, enforcement begins in September
	City officials took steps to clarify the restriction of the use of canopy structures in all residential zones. These "tent-like" structures are an inexpensive--but in many cases, unsightly--solution to covered parking on residential properties. Enforcement begins in September of 2004. City officials approved an ordinance where canopies, defined as an accessory structure, are only allowed in the rear yards, provided they meet a minimum 3-foot setback from the side and rear property lines.
Along with receiving numerous complaints about the canopies, city officials want to restrict canopies for the following reasons: · They are often made of materials that are not fire-retardant and could be a potential fire hazard and danger to nearby buildings. · They are subject to weather-related collapse when not adequately braced and anchored. · To ensure property values are preserved and that your investment will be maintained and increased. Ÿ The placement of any structures, including canopies, in side and front yards or driveway areas has never been allowed in the city of Lakewood. The ordinance approved by the City Council added a definition of canopies to the Lakewood Municipal Code and specifies that canopies are not permitted in the required yard setback areas and driveways. Fix-it Citations Unless an immediate danger to public safety exists, those receiving citations will have at least 21 days to remedy their violation(s) before imposition of fines. Initial violations will be subject to fines of $100. Those receiving the citations can contest them to an administrative hearing officer and, later, to the Superior Court. The citation ordinance is the latest in a series of measures taken by the city council to eliminate blighted conditions before they become widespread in a neighborhood or commercial area. In 2002, Lakewood City Council Members took many important steps to keep Lakewood’s neighborhoods in ‘shipshape’ condition: · The Crime and Nuisance Property Abatement Team expanded with the addition of a city prosecutor to get tough with abusive property owners and rundown locations that harbor criminal activity. The abatement team worked 115 active cases, closed 90 percent of them, and made 65 arrests for criminal activity, including drug dealing. · City officials responded to traffic concerns with a new system that deploys a special sheriff’s unit for traffic enforcement, a decoy car, and a speed indicator trailer to neighborhoods where speeding was on the rise. The new traffic plan led to an increase in hazardous cites by nearly six percent and a decrease in collisions by eight percent. · The City Council adopted an innovative "jaywalking" ordinance to cite thoughtless parents who permit youngsters to make an unsafe crossing to and from their car to Lakewood’s many neighborhood schools. · A new city ordinance limits how Internet access studios (also called cyber cafés) can become neighborhood nuisances. The ordinance includes provisions that a manager be present during all business hours, bans access by minors during school hours, and restricts access by minors during non-school hours. In 2003, the city added a Neighborhood Preservation Manager to help the city’s efforts to improve housing quality through loans, grants, and targeted enforcement tools. Linda Padilla-Smyth is responsible for overseeing the city’s Community Conservation and Housing Programs. She works with community members, staff and other agencies to identify emerging community preservation issues and actively address them. As a team, they work together to stop and reverse the growth of deteriorated properties within the city through a coordinated program of housing assistance and municipal code enforcement. From house to home – with the help of grants and loans Elderly and moderate income residents can now receive landscape and home repair assistance. Free graffiti removal service is also available to homeowners. Landlords and managers of rental units get training in tenant selection, crime prevention and fair housing . Good neighbors who show their pride in Lakewood through exemplary landscaping and maintenance are recognized by the Lakewood Beautiful home awards for their contributions to their neighborhoods and the community. Lakewood offers homeowners a number of programs when it comes to remodeling. Home improvement tips, along with grant and loan opportunities, can help make any house a home! The Single-Family Residential Rehabilitation Loan Program provides zero percent interest, deferred payment loans to seniors, handicapped persons, and families of low- and moderate-income who own and occupy their homes and need financial assistance to make repairs and other minor improvements. To be eligible, you must be a property owner who occupies a single-family residence located within the City of Lakewood that is in need of home improvements. Click here to find out more about loan qualifications. Lakewood’s ‘fix up and paint up’ program provides grants of up to $1,500 to seniors, the disabled, and families of low- and moderate-income who own and occupy their home and need financial assistance to make minor exterior repairs. As this is a grant program, funds do not have to be repaid. Residents who qualify for the program should call 562-866-9771, extension 2320, to obtain a copy of the application and to get answers to their questions. Find out more about the ‘fix up and paint up’ program on the web. Keeping Lakewood’s neighborhoods lookin’ good by volunteering! Numerous community groups mobilized to help other Lakewood residents in need. It’s called Volunteer Day! A diverse collection of community groups, kids, and adults rolled up their sleeves and pitched in at work sites throughout the city. Volunteer crews began hammering away around 7 a.m. and worked into the afternoon. They cleared overgrown front and backyards and filled trashcans, wheel barrels, and dumpsters with debris. Lakewood also has loads of volunteer opportunities year round for teens. The award winning "Teens in Lakewood Care" (TLC) program needs teens to help provide free home maintenance to Lakewood residents who are physically unable to do the work themselves. TLC volunteers work with the Lakewood Jaycees on selected Saturday mornings (usually about once every other month) to wash windows, clean up yards, paint, and other home-related chores. If you'd like to help with this worthwhile program or with any other volunteer activity, please call 429-7472. Find out more about volunteering, or use our online form to let us know you'd like to get involved. Home improvement tips The Benchmark Series is a home improvement column created by the Building and Safety Division of the Lakewood Community Development Department. It is included on our home improvement main page. Topics include the Lakewood building permit process . . . what home improvement jobs need permits and which ones don’t . . . how to apply for a building permit if you’re doing home repairs yourself . . . how much typical building permits cost . . . how and when construction inspections are done . . . and how to "finalize" your permit when your project is finished. From the building permit process to finding a good contractor, Lakewood Online also offers tips and an in-depth look at what to expect when it comes to home improvements and how to get started. Click here to find out more. Scam alert Learn how to protect yourself from "contractor con artists." Lakewood’s older residents have recently become the targets of repair scams that are leaving them scared and vulnerable and bilking them of thousands of dollars. Taking advantage of the recent rough winter, some bogus contractors pressure the vulnerable elderly into repair work that is overpriced, not covered by city building permits, and often incompetently done . . . or not done at all. Learn about some best practices for projects. Click here to learn how you can protect yourself! Remember: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is! Be graffiti free Removal crew at work. Graffiti removal from fences and walls visible from the street is a free city service. Property owners only have to sign a waiver to permit city crews to remove the graffiti. Residents can even get graffiti removed from private property if a permission waiver is on file at city hall for the specific property. Getting rid of graffiti is easy with the help of our online service forms. To request graffiti removal, call (562) 866-9771, extension 2140. Or, property owners may download, print, and return the online version of the form. Click here for a graffiti removal waiver form More about graffiti removal ‘Getting tough’ on property maintenance laws Lakewood has continued its "get tough" ordinance on property maintenance code enforcement. The ordinance arms the city’s property maintenance representatives with the tools to get tough with (mostly absentee) property owners who have allowed their properties to become blighted. Another key element in the city’s efforts to stop the growth of rundown properties in Lakewood neighborhoods is the Nuisance Property Abatement Team. Made up of a code enforcement officer, a sheriff's deputy, and the City Prosecutor, the team deals with property maintenance code violations that mask criminal activity, including drug dealing and cases of elder abuse. In addition, the abatement team also works with the owner and managers of rental units and apartments. Lakewood Apartments Nuisance Deterrent (LAND) Program offers training for landlords and property managers to help them with property and tenant issues. The team was an immediate success due, say city officials, to its unique mix of disciplines: property code enforcement, sheriff's law enforcement, and prosecution. Unlike a patrol deputy in a radio car, the abatement team concentrates on just a few sites and visits them repeatedly, a tactic that is definitely a deterrent to criminal activity. Lakewood Beautiful - ‘good looking’ home awards For 21 years, Lakewood has recognized residents for taking pride in caring for their homes and maintaining their yards with the Lakewood Beautiful Home Awards program. These awards are given to the best looking homes in each of the city’s neighborhood areas. The commitment to home beautification and landscaping has made Lakewood an appealing and attractive community for years. The city hopes that by honoring homeowners who are working hard to beautify their homes, it will motivate others to improve or maintain their homes and gardens. You can nominate your neighbor and say ‘thank you’ for making this community a nice place to live and work. Last year, nearly 300 homes were nominated for recognition. More than 100 families received acknowledgement of their efforts at special receptions at the civic center. Lakewood Beautiful nominations are solicited from throughout the community. Homes are judged by landscape and design architects. They select homes they feel are truly special, showing a pride of ownership and commitment to home maintenance and landscaping that is worthy of recognition. Nominations are accepted in March and can be made by calling City Hall at 562-866-9771, extension 2160, or at Lakewood Online.