By Sara Beth Williams–
A boarded-up home remains visible to thousands of drivers passing by on Auburn Boulevard each day, with caution tape stretched across the entrance, multiple boarded up windows, broken fences, and a “Keep Out” sign that has been posted on the broken gate for months.
Removal of trees and shrubs earlier this year due to construction along Auburn Boulevard exposed the dilapidated, haunted-looking property, which was the scene of a small house fire in mid-August. Before construction began on Auburn Boulevard at the end of the summer, the home, located at 7500 Cherry Glen Avenue, was completely surrounded by large trees and shrubs, Google Images show.
Michelle Breisacher, who has lived across the street for 40 years, told The Sentinel in August that she knew the previous owners. Once the property was sold after the owners passed away, the home has since appeared to be vacant for years.
Breisacher recently spoke with the Sentinel again on Wednesday and said nothing has changed since the house fire in August, in terms of renovation. Breisacher, who has a clear view of the front of the property, said the owner removed several loads of debris, but otherwise have not been seen on the property.
The owners of the house on Cherry Glen Avenue spoke with The Sentinel Thursday and said they are planning to remodel the home “within the next six months,” and also expressed positivity about the city working improving Auburn Boulevard.
In an update Thursday, the city confirmed that the Building Safety Division continues to work with the current property owners to “move forward with a demolition permit for the site.” City spokesperson Marisa Brown said that the owner has not yet applied for a demo permit and there has been no further update regarding unresolved tree violations.
The city said previously that the property owner removed several trees from the property in March of this year “without authorization,” and that a demo application had been put on hold “due to unresolved tree violations.”
Residential real estate website Trulia shows the property on Cherry Glen Avenue sits on half-an-acre. The four-bedroom, one-and-a-half-bathroom home is reported by Trulia to have last sold for $270,000 in February 2019, however Sacramento County Assessor’s Office records indicate the property changed ownership most recently in August 2022.
Separately, as part of the Auburn Boulevard Complete Streets revitalization project, the city confirmed that it received permission from the owner of the home to remove a tree that “posed a safety risk” and obstructed the construction of a new retaining wall along the property line and the sidewalk.
