Hesperia: Fire-damaged home won't be demolished

Once stately, the Victorian-style, two-story house sits sadly on a sprawling lot in eastern Hesperia.

A fallen TV satellite dish speaks of better days, a time when its owner enjoyed the sanctity of his upscale home in this semi-rural neighborhood.

But that was before a fire ripped through the house several years ago. Firefighters heroically battled to save the structure. Job accomplished, the home was saved — mostly.

Ironically, according to nearby resident George Pond, “It created a monster.” While the basic structure remains intact, blackened, charred portions of the house are visible to passersby.

“It’s an eyesore,” he said. “It’s an unattractive nuisance.”

Though crews boarded up the home at 18128 Valencia St. teenagers pried their way inside and used it as a party pad. Such activity hasn’t been seen recently, however, but Pond is concerned that the abandoned home is bringing down nearby home values by creating an eyesore.

“I’ve call the city two or three times. I’ve talked to Code Enforcement. They say there’s nothing they can do.”

According to Hesperia public information officer Kelly Malloy, the city is going through necessary steps to obtain funds for repairing the boarding. But it’s unlikely the house will be demolished because the amount of damage doesn’t warrant demolition based on a formula taking into account the amount of property damage, building codes and other factors.

To read more about the steps Hesperia is taking, see the full story in Monday's Daily Press. To subscribe to the Daily Press in print or online, call (760) 241-7755, 1-800-553-2006 or click here.