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Messy yard cops shake down vice-mayor of Richmond
Richmond city probe finds councilman's property in worse condition than originally thought By Robert Rogers Contra Costa Times Posted: 05/02/2013 07:04:40 AM PDT RICHMOND -- An inspection in March revealed that a fenced lot full of old cars linked to City Councilman Corky Boozé contained environmental hazards worse than initially thought and that it may violate a slew of local and state laws, according to documents obtained through a public records request. The inspection was conducted to determine the extent of the violations and what progress, if any, had been made in cleaning up the property, as demanded by the city. In a 21-page letter addressed to Boozé and Laura Baker, the legal owner, city prosecutor Trisha Aljoe wrote that the 28,000-square-foot lot at 22 Carlson Blvd. is home to " ... unlawful, hazardous, unsafe and blighted conditions ... so extreme and extensive that it is difficult to describe." The conditions were assessed during a March 21 inspection by city staff, accompanied by Boozé, to see whether any progress had been made following a March 6 "notice of violation and demand to abate" letter issued by the city. "Unfortunately," Aljoe wrote, "not only have the violations not been abated as previously demanded, the magnitude of unlawful and unsafe conditions ... were far worse than the city had been able to determine from its initial observations ..." The city's Code Enforcement Department began to lean on Boozé last year, after local resident Kate Sibley lodged numerous complaints against the property. Baker could not be reached for comment. Court documents from 2003 show Boozé told a judge that Baker was his "domestic partner of 30 years." Boozé called the letter and the ongoing action a "political witch hunt" and said the allegations that he is violating any laws are "totally untrue." He said Councilman Tom Butt, his political rival, "orchestrated the whole thing." "The city has more important business than to be taking sides in a political vendetta between two council members," Boozé said. Reached Tuesday, Butt said he did talk with Sibley before her complaints but that Boozé needs to follow the law. "Corky is in denial," Butt said. The property is owned by Baker, a Vallejo resident who took ownership in 1996, according to county records. Baker took over the property amid years of bitter legal battles between the city and Boozé and his son Kevin over violations and blighted conditions. Boozé, 69, holds a business license for auto body repair and restoration at the site, adjacent to the Richmond Greenway and just beneath elevated BART tracks. Behind a 6-foot fence lies old cars and car parts, along with other metals and industrial tools. Single-family homes are Boozé's immediate neighbors and dot the surrounding blocks. Code Enforcement officials are set to conduct an inspection of the property at 1 p.m. Thursday, after Boozé requested a reschedule of an earlier inspection. In the letter, Aljoe wrote that the city fire marshall determined the property poses "a fire hazard and danger to public safety, health and welfare, particularly the ... residential dwellings in proximity." The letter lists more than 20 alleged violations of local and state law and includes an inventory of more than 40 vehicles, along with piles of car batteries, unmarked containers of toxic liquids and evidence of "significant soil contamination" that will require cleanup. Code Enforcement Director Tim Higares said the city always hopes for voluntary compliance, but sometimes litigation is necessary to compel compliance. "We give people every opportunity to comply," Higares said. "Corky has been cooperative, not combative." Boozé disputed the allegations that he is in violation of any ordinances but said he has been tidying up ahead of the inspection. "I do business of the city as an elected representative all day," Boozé said. "And I am working on this, too." Contact Robert Rogers at 510-262-2726 or rrogers@bayareanewsgroup.com and follow Twitter.com/roberthrogers
Property linked to Richmond councilman subject of city probe By Robert Rogers Contra Costa Times Posted: 03/11/2013 04:49:07 PM PDT RICHMOND -- The city is demanding that a junk-strewn property linked to City Councilman Corky Boozé be cleaned up after finding it in violation of several codes and a 1997 court order, according to documents obtained through a public records request. The property, a 28,000-square-foot lot with a 756-square-foot office building, sits at 22 Carlson Blvd., adjacent to the Richmond Greenway and just beneath elevated BART tracks. Behind a 6-foot fence lies old cars and car parts, along with other metals and industrial tools. The property is owned by Laura Baker, a resident of Vallejo who took ownership in 1996, according to county records. Baker took over the property amid years of bitter legal battles between the city and Boozé and his son Kevin over violations and blighted conditions. In a five-page letter, city prosecutor Trisha Aljoe demanded that Baker abate the property and scheduled a compliance inspection for 1 p.m. March 18. Boozé holds a business license for auto body repair and restoration at the site and is referred to in the letter as the "tenant." "It is clear, based on ... overwhelming evidence, that your tenant is maintaining the property in violation and contempt of the (1997) court order," the letter reads. Reached by phone, Aljoe acknowledged the action against the property but declined further comment, citing the ongoing investigation. Boozé, 69, gave a reporter a tour of the property's perimeter last week, noting the secure fencing and complaining that city property adjacent to the site seems to violate its own codes. Boozé said the only holes in his fencing, one of many violations alleged by the city, were small bullet holes that dot the side along Carlson, a hazard of doing business in a rough neighborhood. Boozé said the city's investigation is motivated by politics. He alleges that a rival councilman and politically active resident conspired to turn up the heat. "This is just a pure political witch hunt," Boozé said. "This thing has (Councilman) Tom Butt, the (Richmond Progressive Alliance) and its allies written all over it. There was never a problem until they started harassing the city staff about it." Baker could not be reached for comment. Court documents from 2003 show Boozé told a judge that Baker was his "domestic partner of 30 years." Boozé said Friday he and Baker "broke up years ago." County records show that Baker owns at least two other properties in the city, both of which critics link to Boozé. One of Baker's properties, a commercial building in the 3300 block of Cutting Boulevard, has been the subject of debate over whether the city should lease it for a new police substation on the southside. Boozé has been the main proponent of that plan. In November, a Richmond resident began sending emails to city staff complaining about the Carlson Boulevard property and alleging that it belonged to Councilman Boozé. Butt said he told the resident, Kate Sibley, that the property belonged to Boozé but that she and other neighbors had been bothered by the site for years. "They were flummoxed, and so I helped her get some information and pursue her complaint," Butt said. Butt said the situation was rife with hypocrisy, noting that Boozé made several public presentations accusing owners of the SS Red Oak Victory Ship of violating city codes. "People who live in glass houses should not throw rocks," Butt said. Contact Robert Rogers at 510-262-2726 or rrogers@bayareanewsgroup.com and follow Twitter.com/roberthrogers. |
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