City officials dispute Soffer’s claims on Huscroft House

Stefanie Frith

COSTA MESA -- Councilwoman Linda Dixon, who is waging a campaign to

preserve the historic Huscroft House, says it’s probably just a case of

sour grapes.

Not even close, answers former Costa Mesa resident Sid Soffer, who

famously had to flee the city six years ago over his failure to abide by

city property codes.

It’s about fairness, Soffer says. And that, in his mind, the city is

breaking the same laws that forced him to move to Las Vegas.

Soffer is so certain that he has filed a complaint against the city,

saying that by the city being in possession of the controversial Huscroft

House, it is violating building codes.

Despite Dixon’s dismissal, the city hasn’t ignored Soffer’s inquiries.

City Manager Allan Roeder said the matter has been taken over by the city

attorney’s office.

The office has been researching the building codes for the Huscroft

House and will be ready to put the matter on the council agenda within a

month, he said.

The city’s preliminary findings are that the house is not violating

any codes because the city has not moved it to its final location.

“While the [city’s] relocation permit procedures require a structure

to ‘be structurally sound and conform with applicable provisions of the

Uniform Building Code, this reference pertains to the house’s final

disposition/condition, not its condition prior to Santa Ana Avenue,” Don

Lamm, the city’s development services director, wrote in a recent memo to

Councilman Gary Monahan.

The house was moved to Costa Mesa from Santa Ana in 1954 and then from

its location on Santa Ana Avenue to TeWinkle Park in 1999.

Further, Lamm wrote, the city “obviously allowed the structure to be

relocated in compliance with applicable regulations in effect at that

time. In fact, the relocation permit regulations referenced by the

complainant did not exist in the city’s Municipal Code in 1954.”

Soffer maintains his point that the house violates a city code that

states, “Buildings or structures moved into or within the jurisdiction

shall comply with the provisions of this code for a new building or

structure.”

He also said the law states that buildings must be brought up to code

before they are moved into the city, especially if they are going to be

lived in. He points out that the home was occupied by the Huscroft family

for about 40 years until the city bought it in 1998.

“They said a month ago that they were going to look into this,” Soffer

said. “I have done a lot of research, and I quote the law, and the law

says that the building must be brought up to code before it is moved into

the city. The city is in violation of this code. They are just stalling,

hoping this will go away.”

In his memo, Lamm explains the building essentially is salvaged

building material that is awaiting a final decision on whether it will be

moved or destroyed.

Dixon said she is sure the city would not have brought in the home in

1954 without it being up to code and, right now, the house does not need

to be up to current building codes because it’s not in use.

“It’s silly to bring it up to code while it’s located in a temporary

place and not being utilized by the public,” Dixon said. “If the council

elects to move the house [to Fairview Park], then we will [make sure it’s

up to code]. But right now, it’s all boarded up and not even hooked up to

be used.”

And that raises another problem, Soffer said. If the house is not

being used and is boarded up awaiting another possible move, then it may

be violating the city’s “maintenance ordinance,” making it a public

nuisance.

Roeder said, however, that to his knowledge, the city has not received

any complaints about the house.

“Maybe Soffer is sitting at his computer in Vegas, looking at pictures

and deciding it’s a nuisance,” Roeder said. “Maybe the house has some

strong odors that he’s picking up from Vegas.”

Soffer maintains his complaints are serious and have to do with the

city’s campaign to clean up the Westside.

“Part of the cleanup is to get rid of old cars,” Soffer said. “What

you probably do not know is between Costa Mesa and Newport Beach, I have

lost over 20 old cars that the cities came onto my property and towed

away and destroyed because of minor things like not being currently

registered, a flat tire or dead battery, etc. That wouldn’t happen if I

was in town [not in Las Vegas]. This thing has cost me well over

$100,000. I am going to get even.”

For now, city officials are just trying to figure out what they want

to do with the house, and to determine how much that end result will

cost.

“There are many uses for it,” Dixon said. “It’s a tremendous cultural

asset to the city. It could be used as a museum . . . for parties . . .

for meetings. As for Soffer, I am just not understanding where he is

coming from and what his intentions are.

“It saddens me to think that he is being so negative about something

that can be so positive. His letters just sound like sour grapes to me.”