RED BLUFF — Four properties listed as public nuisances by the Tehama County Department of Environmental Health, three of which housed illegal marijuana grows, were assessed during the Tehama County Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday for potential penalty property liens.
The three properties are on the 18000 block of Eighmy Road in Cottonwood, the 17000 block on Laramie Point in Corning and the 300 block of Ventura Avenue in Gerber.
Code Enforcement Officer Clint Weston and Director Tim Potanovic requested the board approve liens on all three properties pursuant to public nuisance administrative penalties.
Upon inspection, the Cottonwood residence had multiple violations, including illegal electrical work, illegal marijuana cultivation and greenhouses without permits. Along with the greenhouses on the property, the garage of the residence was converted to cultivate dozens of marijuana plants, using hazardous light fixtures and wiring.
“In the event that somebody would touch the internal components of these electrical panels as they are, they would most likely cause death and electrocution,” Weston said. “So these in no way conform to lawful installation practices nor is it permitted work.”
According to Weston, all of the required permits were eventually acquired and filed, but the building department failed two inspections of the property due to residual debris and visual blight, calling for a penalty lien.
The properties in Corning and Gerber faced similar building violations due to construction without permits and illegal cultivation of marijuana.
The parcel in Corning housed two large greenhouses without permits to cultivate marijuana and was required to procure two demolition permits or as built permits to demolish or maintain the greenhouses.
The greenhouses are not assembled and in debris piles on the property, but no permits have been filed or secured by the owner.
The Gerber property posed as the largest violator among the three properties, by fully converting a single family residence into a greenhouse to cultivate marijuana.
“The occupants of the house essentially removed every residential feature of the home. There was a juvenile and young adult managing the growth at the time of warrant service, sleeping in a small hallway near the front of the house,” Weston said. “There was so little room, all the appliances had been moved outside, the washing machine, the dryer, refrigerators on the back patio.”
The makeshift cultivation house featured illegal lighting and wiring, dozens of marijuana plants and threats of black mold. The owner was ultimately issued five violations of which none were followed up with proper permits or upgrades.
A $3,000 lien was approved by the board and placed on each property.
Melissa Joseph can be reached at 510-491-7151, mjoseph@redbluffdailynews.com or on Twitter at @melisstweetz.
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