State inspectors flagged fire hazards and other lease violations year after year at the site where the 10 Freeway fire began, yet Caltrans did not initiate the eviction process against the tenant until this August, 3 1/2 years after the company stopped paying rent, according to newly released documents.
Caltrans released a small portion of its inspection records late Friday as the “initial step” in a “thorough examination of its 600-plus Airspace leases at sites around highways statewide.” California’s airspace leasing program rents out state-owned land beneath freeways and bridges as a revenue source for mass transportation projects.
“This review will ensure compliance with lease agreements, including that sites are clear of potential fire hazards, and is in addition to the annual inspections Caltrans staff conducts, as well as safety inspections by the State Fire Marshal,” said Eric Menjivar, a spokesperson for Caltrans District 7, in an email.
The state, at Gov. Gavin Newsom’s direction, is planning a “top-to-bottom” review that will inventory every airspace site, track its proximity to sensitive structures and other potential risks. Cal Fire and the Los Angeles Fire Department will jointly inspect the leased lands locally. The reviews will continue until Caltrans is “confident all lease sites comply with state and federal law and do not pose a safety risk” to the public or state infrastructure.
“If a site is found to be in violation of its lease agreement in a manner creating a safety hazard, Caltrans will take swift legal action,” Menjivar said.
‘Numerous lease violations’
That didn’t happen in the past, at least not at the site where an inferno would eventually erupt along a stretch of the 10 Freeway, according to the records released by the state. Caltrans has not released the report from the most recent inspection on Oct. 5, but a log of notes submitted by inspectors provided to the Southern California News Group…
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