La Habra council approves first reading to move public-nuisance rules into new Title 8

The La Habra City Council on first reading approved zone change ZC26-1 to repeal and reorganize multiple municipal-code chapters and add a new chapter 8.16 on public nuisances. The ordinance moves enforcement responsibility from Building & Safety to the Community & Economic Development Department and adds explicit violations the city says will help staff enforce nuisances more efficiently.

Cynthia Vastrei, the code enforcement supervisor, told the council that the changes pull chapter 18.74 into Title 8 (health and safety) and add new violations ranging from prohibiting use of vehicles or recreational vehicles as living space to requiring storage pods to have active building permits. “Exterior lighting on all properties within and adjacent to residentially zoned properties must not exceed 0 foot-candles at the property line,” she said when outlining the proposed light-spillage limit. The city attorney read the ordinance and stated the item is exempt from CEQA under cited guidelines; the council then voted, and the motion carried unanimously on first reading.

The ordinance also updates cross-references in code sections related to temporary sanitary facilities, abandoned and inoperative vehicles, bail schedules for parking offenses, and sign standards. Council members asked staff whether the proposed standard for undue light spillage would let code enforcement respond to night-time bedroom glare; staff confirmed it would be enforceable as a public-nuisance case under the new chapter. If approved on second reading, staff told the council the ordinance would take effect 30 days after that action.