Approximately 20 disgruntled Corlett Road residents told the Española City Council Oct. 23 the neighborhood is tired of looking at the graffiti-laced walls at the “Ol’ Mel Patch” community art space. The building, which sits at the corner of Corlett and Riverside Drive, is covered in graffiti drawings with some displaying offensive language.
Group spokesperson Barbara Ricci said vehicles park by the building for long hours at a time and the drivers and passengers of the parked cars are often there doing drugs and tagging the building’s walls.
Ricci asked Council members why the city has allowed the graffiti to remain plastered on the side of the building.
Interim Española Police Chief Stephen Branch has previously called the Graffiti Hotline and said he was told the city must first get the building owner’s permission before the walls can be painted.
“Graffiti is a public nuisance and a form of vandalism,” Ricci said.
Ricci said the building is structurally unsound and chunks of the plaster walls are falling off. Ricci suggested the city either make necessary repairs to bring the building up to code or consider demolishing it.
Fellow spokesperson LouAnna Hauck said she instructs her children to walk down the middle of Corlett, instead of on the road’s sides, to avoid visual exposure to the graffiti and broken beer bottles strewn across the ground.
“That building is in very bad shape,” Hauck said. “It’s a perfect breeding ground for insects, rodents and pests. Please help us to fix this problem.”
Councilor Cecilia Lujan offered an apology on behalf of the entire Council to the residents of Corlett Road for the city having tolerated the graffiti for so long.
“I think, truthfully, we drive by it and just accept it,” Councilor Robert Seeds said. “It’s regrettable.”
Interim city manager Joe Duran said he lives in the Corlett Road area and he and his fellow neighbors have learned to live with the graffiti.
“In the past, we knew that problem existed,” Duran said.
Duran then itemized the city’s priorities regarding the offensive premises.
“Yes, they are violations,” Duran said. “Should we move forward? Yes. Do we have the money to condemn…that’s different.”
Seeds suggested the city consider purchasing the building.
Planning Director Russell Naranjo explained that the city can continue to work with the property owner but the city’s authority in the matter is limited.
“This isn’t a result of unenforcement,” Naranjo said. It’s up to the property owner to allow the graffiti to remain on the exterior walls.
Naranjo, who also lives in the Corlett Road area, said, “It’s about time we take back our neighborhood.”
The city’s ordinance against graffiti lacks “teeth,” in that the legislation is difficult to enforce, and the city should consider reworking the conditions of the ordinance, he said.
Councilor Peggy Sue Martinez said the Council should consider amending the ordinance to make it more dynamic and useful.
Naranjo also suggested the city place deterrent signage around the property that reads, “No Trespassing,” and “Private Property.”
Grant funding to be used for litter control and beautification projects is available, Naranjo said.
“We really need to take action to the next level,” Naranjo said. “We need to do a (traffic) study. In the meantime, we need police enforcement in that area.”
The Corlett Road graffiti situation has become a threat to public safety, Mayor Alice Lucero said, and expressed support for the city to act quickly.
“It’s a safety hazard that we need to take care of as soon as possible,” she said.
Seeds recommended the city focus more on the building’s dilapidated physical conditions and less on the removal of graffiti.
The property is owned by Tony Scarborough.