UPDATE: Safety violations force closure of Chinatown businesses

UPDATE 8/27/2018 4 p.m.: We are now hearing from Salinas Code Enforcement about the violations found during an inspection warrant served at a building in Salinas’ Chinatown neighborhood.

Last week, some two dozen businesses operating out of 1-3 Bridge Street were shut down.

In a “Notice of Violation” order posted on Friday, the city said it found issues that posed a danger to the health and safety of people working there and living nearby.

The list includes electrical and plumbing problems, as well as car repair businesses operating out of storage facilities that were not permitted. The city said damage to the building was also not repaired properly.

The property owner, Central Valley Mini Storages, has 30 days to comply and get everything up to code.

ORIGINAL POST: The future of some two dozen businesses in Chinatown are up in the air after they were forced to close after a city inspection.

Most of the businesses at the Warehouse on Bridge Street were closed on Wednesday, some 24 hours after code enforcement officers served an inspection warrant on the property. 29 different storage units were searched and the ones that housed body shops were “red tagged” for fire or safety concerns.

Tenants like Martin Peters said they were blindsided.

“We as tenants have never been told of the problems that they’re using against us,” Peters said. “We have not been given the chance to repair anything at all.”

Code enforcement officers are still working on an order, which is a list of violations that they found. They said that they did shut down the building because of fire and life safety issues. Those are things like hazardous conditions, compromised exit corridors or even alterations to the building.

Some of the tenants believe the crackdown was the result of a rumored new owner. The city said it doesn’t take direction from potential buyers and that the property has been on its radar for years.

Tenants feel like they’re on their own.

“I have $100,000 worth of trucks right here, I have $140,000 worth of cars inside that they’re just saying, ‘So what?’ They don’t care,” Peters said. “They absolutely do not care.”

The tenants met with city leaders on Wednesday morning and say they hope to get some answers in the next few days. In the meantime, they’re in a holding pattern.

“They need to get back to work,” said Kilder Fuentes. “They’re liable for contracts, pending contracts that they have to do, they have about 50 people without work, waiting here for an answer from the city. Their families are depending on them.”