Brea Seeks to Condemn Homes

The city will take legal action to condemn two homes on a parcel of land that officials want for an affordable-housing project, the City Council decided Tuesday.

The 7,000-square-foot property, at 209 and 209 1/2 S. Poplar Ave., has two single-family homes that officials described as dilapidated.

“This property is blighted; there’s been significant deterioration, and it’s clearly needed for this project,” Councilman Burnie Dunlap said. “We’ve made every attempt to buy the property and made offers . . . but [the owner] has not responded.”

The owner, landlord Cruz Sandoval, did not attend a public hearing on the issue Tuesday and could not be reached for comment. According to city reports, Sandoval rejected an offer to buy the property at above market value.

Therefore, city officials will seek a court order necessary to purchase the property at market value, about $190,000, said Susan M. Georgino, redevelopment services director.

One of the homes was built in the late 1920s and the other in the 1940s, officials said, and both have fallen into disrepair.

The city is considering several offers from developers proposing to build single-family homes and duplexes, both for sale and rental, on the site, Georgino said. A portion of the housing would be designated for low-income residents, she said.