Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Code Enforcement Public Comment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Resident urges county action over messy vehicle-repair lot near Musselman High School
Summary
A South Berkeley property owner told commissioners the auto lot at 8562 Winchester Avenue (Smiley's Auto and Truck Repair) is an "eyesore," expressed concern about potential ground contamination near his well and recounted citations and state and county contacts. He asked the commission to investigate possible enforcement actions.
Dean Joe, who identified himself as a nearby property owner, used the public-comment portion of the meeting to raise persistent concerns about a property he identified as Smiley's Auto and Truck Repair at 8562 Winchester Avenue in South Berkeley.
Joe said the lot is roughly two-thirds of an acre and that he owns 2.5 acres adjacent to it, with both properties near Rankin Physical Fitness and close to the Musselman High School football field. He said he is not generally a proponent of zoning or government regulation, "but with freedom comes a lot of responsibility," and he urged attention to neighborhood impacts.
He said Berkeley County issued citations that were referred to the prosecuting attorney on 04/16/2024 and that he has provided photographs to county personnel (he referenced "Mister Gogener"). "It's a messy property...It's a junkyard. And it's an eyesore," Joe said, adding that some vehicles are obscured by vegetation and that he has begun using a camera system because of trespass and animal issues. He also said he has one of the last private wells in the area and expressed concern over unknown substances dripping onto the ground near the lot, though he did not state any confirmed contamination.
County staff acknowledged his comments during the public-comment period; no formal enforcement action or new motion was recorded on the floor during the meeting. Joe concluded by asking the commission whether anything could be done to address the property.
The transcript includes Joe's account of prior contacts with county and state staff and that a state reviewer concluded the site was not a junkyard but "a messy property." Commission staff or legal representatives did not announce new follow-up steps at the time the comments were delivered.
Because this was a public comment, commissioners did not take immediate action on the record beyond acknowledging the remarks. The resident requested that staff or elected officials "do something," and the matter may require follow-up through zoning, code enforcement or prosecuting-attorney channels outside the meeting record.
