By Mike Hazlip—
A vacant lot that was once home to a blighted commercial building is on the market for $300,000, according to a listing by commercial real estate site LoopNet.
The listing describes the .64 acre commercial property at 7210 Greenback Ln. as a “great location” at the corner of Greenback Lane and Shupe Drive with “great frontage and visibility from Greenback.” Probate sale conditions apply to the property, according to the listing.
A small commercial building at the site was demolished in late 2019 after a lengthy legal battle with owner George Petker, according to a previous report by The Sentinel. Citrus Heights City Council voted 4-0 to assess a $105,000 lien against the property to recover costs related to nuisance abatement and demolition of the vacant building, The Sentinel reported.
In a May 14, 2020 hearing, the city’s chief building official, Greg Anderson, testified the building had been vacant since 2011. Anderson said Petker refused to cooperate with the city’s efforts to inspect the property.
City documents show a history of code violations and blight complaints at the property. Anderson said the electrical panel in the building had been vandalized, and power was shut off. The building was declared a public nuisance May 21, 2019.
The city’s municipal code gives authority to abate a public nuisance if the property owner does not bring the property into compliance. The city gave Petker an abatement notice on June 10, 2019, and a fire at the site the following month caused severe damage to the building, with Metro Fire crews finding evidence that the building was being inhabited by transients.
An abatement warrant was executed over several weeks in November and December of 2019, which included the building’s demolition. Anderson testified the debris was treated as hazardous waste after hypodermic needles were found at the site.
