What’s the difference between Oceano and Laguna Beach? Residents say neglect

The rats were the final straw.

Lucia Casalinuovo, 62, owns a small property facing Pier Avenue in Oceano that she currently rents to tenants. It’s a neat little house, situated a few hundred feet from the beach, with flowers planted along the sidewalk and a tree overhanging the lawn.

But next door was a different story — the house beside Casalinuovo’s property was abandoned after its previous owners died, and in the months since had collected more and more trash in the small fenced-in yard, everything from fast-food wrappers to refrigerators.

The property was quickly becoming a health hazard, and then one night, Casalinuovo’s tenants trapped 12 rats coming onto her property from the neighboring property.

Since then, Casalinuovo has become active at raising awareness of what she calls the neglected condition of Oceano — Pier Avenue in particular.

“What is the sheriff doing about this? What is the county doing about this?” she said. “This is not a third-world country. This is California.”

On Tuesday, Casalinuovo walked the block at the end of Pier Avenue, pointing out trash in vacant lots, properties that have been for sale for years with no successful buyers and the continuous stream of drivers onto the nearby Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreational Area.

“This is a gorgeous avenue that goes through a most beautiful beach on the Central Coast of California,” she said. “Why is it not like Laguna Beach? It’s very simple. Nobody wants to live or do business here.”

Example of the blight

Of particular concern for Casalinuovo is an abandoned restaurant close to her property.

Almost a decade ago, it was a fish-and-chips restaurant in a well-maintained building at the corner of Pier and Lakeside avenues. Since the owners died several years ago, however, the restaurant has sat vacant, accumulating trash and detritus in a highly visible spot.

The front patio — which once would have featured happy people munching away on their fried food as they looked out over the natural dunes — was littered with plastic bags, broken fence slats, a torn “No Trespassing” poster and a dirt-covered “For Sale” sign. Casalinuovo said that because it is abandoned, the property has been a gathering place for homeless people trying to stay out of the cold.

“This place has been abandoned, and it’s gorgeous,” she said, pointing to the mission architecture. “It’s a block away from the beach. It should not be like this.”

Casalinuovo said she thinks most of the problems stem from the off-roading area, though she also noted that the large homeless population in the area often contributes to some of the trash and safety concerns.

“It’s not that kind of nice place where people can walk, sit down and enjoy the beach,” she said. “It’s noisy; there is traffic, there is dust.”

A history of problems in Oceano

Neil Velie, who owns California Coast Candy at the end of Pier Avenue, has had similar problems.

In the 15 years he’s owned the store, he said he’s seen homeless people using the area behind the candy store as a restroom, numerous thefts, trash left by people coming back from the beach, and torn-up pavement in front of the business that goes unrepaired for long stretches of time.

“This has been going on for quite a while,” he said. “It’s sad because you have people like me who want to develop their property, but I can’t get the county to get off their duff to help.”

Velie said he has had fewer run-ins with homeless individuals since the Grover Beach train station camp was disbanded, although littering remains an ongoing problem.

Even though he has contacted the county and police numerous times to attempt to remedy some of his concerns, Velie said he has not yet received a satisfactory response.

“The truth is Oceano hasn’t been given any money from the county in a long, long time,” he said.

That’s part of the reason Casalinuovo has become an advocate for revitalization in Oceano.

“It’s been totally neglected,” she said. “It’s as if the county has completely washed its hands of it.”

What the county’s doing in response

Fourth District Supervisor Lynn Compton, whose district encompasses Oceano, said several projects are in the works that could boost the economy in the beachside town and eventually help clean it up.

Notably, the county recently completed a Draft Implementation Plan for revitalization on Front Street between Fourth and 19th streets. The project could potentially upgrade sidewalks and street lighting; add benches, bike racks, crosswalks and trash cans; beautify the area with planters and new signage; and even eventually add temporary events such as a farmers market.

The county also recently set aside $2,000 for a community project grant that would restore the historic Oceano Depot.

In the meantime, Compton and the county have been working to address individual concerns like parking along the street and potential health code violations, and are encouraging concerned residents to form a volunteer trash cleanup group to help improve the look of the area.

After meeting with Compton, Casalinuovo said the rat-infested house next to her rental property has since been cleaned up, although that doesn’t lessen her desire to get more attention on the condition of Oceano.

“At least outside it’s better,” she said. “But it is still a disgrace.”

This story was originally published November 4, 2016 at 8:54 PM with the headline "What’s the difference between Oceano and Laguna Beach? Residents say neglect."