Patch Watch: Is Los Gatos Home on Bachman Avenue Blight?

"Why doesn't Los Gatos have a blight ordinance?" complains a longtime Los Gatos resident who lives near a home on quiet and tranquil Bachman Avenue that he says has become an "eyesore."

Located at 256 Bachman Ave., the man says the home has been in disrepair for at least 10 years and is in a state of decay.

It was an award winning Bellringer home in 1978, he noted, adding that it's now vacant and has been for empty for more than seven years.

Los Gatos Patch visited the property on Monday and indeed found the residence empty, a screen falling out of one of its first-floor windows, a staircase not completed, pieces of wood piled up near the main door and in the back back, unpainted exterior wood walls.

Neighbors on Bachman Avenue say the owner recently decided to do some restoration work on it by replacing rotting wood and preparing it for a new paint job.

They had almost completed the work when someone complained to the town about the work, they said. Town officials ordered him to cease until he had appropriate permits, they explained.

"Well, we neighbors have been waiting a very long time for this home to be restored and now because of one complaint, all work has ceased. Of course, the town will not tell us who complained, or for what reason," the resident said.

Now the neighborhood is saying it all goes back to the town lacking a blight ordinance to prevent this from happening.

"If the town had a blight ordinance this would effectively keep our neighborhoods presentable," the man stated. 

The only way that the town can enforce repairs is if the property presents a health or safety hazard, they further complained.

"Seems odd that a town like Los Gatos does not care what state a property is in, but jumps at the chance to make money on permits," he lamented.

LOCATION: 256 Bachman Ave.

PROBLEM: Abandoned, unfinished home.

RESPONSIBLE PARTY: homeowners

DATE REPORTED: Feb. 22

DAYS ON WATCH: 5