Pubdate: Sun, 16 Jun 2013
Source: Press-Enterprise (Riverside, CA)
Copyright: 2013 The Press-Enterprise Company
Contact: http://www.pe.com/localnews/opinion/letters_form.html
Website: http://www.pe.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/830
Author: Sandra Stokley

CITY WANTS TO STOP POT GROW HOUSES

City leaders in Eastvale, one of the most affluent cities in the 
Inland area, want to light a fire under landlords whose renters set 
up pot-growing operations in residential neighborhoods.

At least 18 grow houses had been discovered in the city since the 
beginning of the year, and police officials say other houses are 
still under investigation.

The city already tracks foreclosed homes to make sure they don't 
become eyesores. One of the ideas now is to keep track of rental 
properties to make sure landlords are doing appropriate background 
checks on potential tenants and monitor the homes to make sure they 
aren't converted into indoor pot farms.

Eastvale Councilman Adam Rush asked at the June 12 city council 
meeting for some sort of action to control the problem. Councilman 
Richard "Ric" Welch had expressed concerns at a previous meeting.

"We're getting complaints from homeowners who are concerned about 
their families' safety," Rush said.

Grow houses are so pervasive in Eastvale -- where rampant 
foreclosures have fostered a wave of houses for rent -- that the 
Riverside County Sheriff's Department issued a news release in April 
advising residents how to spot one. It is posted on Eastvale's 
official website. Tell-tale signs: windows covered from the inside, 
lights and televisions on timers, people hauling in commercial-grade 
electrical equipment, and no signs of normal residential occupation.

Eastvale, a former dairy community turned suburban hub in northwest 
Riverside County, is a magnet for young, upscale, church-going 
families, many with a law enforcement background. Census data show 
the median income is $106,000 -- the highest of any city in western 
Riverside County.

One of the city's most active organizations is Law Enforcement and 
Fire Fighters (known as L.E.A.F.F.), which has a primary goal of 
making Eastvale the safest city in the USA.

Rush said he was more saddened than shocked by the number of grow 
houses found in Eastvale.

"I don't want Eastvale to have the stigma of something like this," he said.

PROFITABLE BUSINESS

At one point this spring, it seemed that a sophisticated growing 
operation was discovered in Eastvale every week.

The operators set up devices such as outlets, circuit-breaker panels 
and additional wiring to bypass electrical meters, resulting in the 
theft of tens of thousands of dollars worth of electricity. The 
operations create an increased risk of a fire breaking out, said Sgt. 
Andrew Elia, supervisor of the Special Enforcement Team that is 
investigating the grow houses in the city.

They also install hydroponic setups with grow lights and watering 
systems inside the homes. Elia said the modifications typically cost 
about $40,000.

Property owners are not held responsible for the grow houses unless 
they knowingly rent the house to someone for criminal activity. But 
after the home is processed by investigators, the city of Eastvale 
requires the homeowner to bring it back up to code.

"In most of the cases we've investigated, the owners had no 
knowledge," Elia said.

The information the growers put on rental agreements is fictitious, 
and there is no requirement that property owners run background checks.

"That's up to the individual owners," he said.

Elia said a 3,000-square-foot house can hold about 1,000 plants, 
which will be harvested and ready for sale in three to four months.

Marijuana grown indoors is considered a higher-grade drug, which Elia 
estimated would fetch about $1,000 per pound on the market.

NOT JUST EASTVALE

A federal indictment handed down in April accused 11 men of turning 
Inland homes into indoor marijuana growing farms. Locations included 
six homes in Eastvale, three in Corona, one in Riverside and homes in 
Chino, Fontana and Rancho Cucamonga. The men all have pleaded not guilty.

Eastvale's police chief, Capt. Danny Feltenberger, said the 
proliferation of grow houses in Eastvale is a result of several 
factors, including the stock of vacant or rental homes that are very 
spacious, and the city's proximity to freeways.

"Eastvale is in a very conducive area to transport the drug," he said.

Rush said he believes the problem is a byproduct of the housing crash 
that left homes in foreclosure and property owners walking away from 
their mortgages.

"These properties are bought up by real estate investment firms and 
rented without proper background checks," Rush said.

Many of the owners live out of state, Rush said. Elia confirmed that fact.

Rush said he would like to see some type of rental registry, similar 
to the foreclosure registry established by the city, so that rental 
properties are on the city's radar. The registry keeps foreclosed 
homes from falling into disrepair by forcing the owners, including 
many banks, to provide ongoing maintenance and lawn care.

"We'll know where these houses are and can monitor these situations 
closely," Rush said.

Welch said he has been researching what other cities and communities 
have been doing to address the problem. In some cases, he said, 
cities have issued rental permits or licenses to keep track of rental homes.

"In some locations, limits have been placed on how many permits are 
issued per block," Welch said. "Some of these efforts have been 
challenged in court."

John Cavanaugh, Eastvale's city attorney, said any program developed 
has to balance the city's desire to tackle the problem with the 
rights of property owners.

"It's a balancing act," Cavanaugh said. "We have to come up with a 
program that can withstand legal scrutiny."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom