After people broke several windows and the door at the building she’s renovating, a Vallejo business owner says it’s just the latest challenge she’s dealing with. Christie Smith reports.
A Vallejo business owner has been left frustrated after people broke a door and several windows at the building she’s renovating — and she says that's not the only that challenge that she’s facing.
Shatara Featherstone first noticed it two weeks ago.
“I was driving past and I noticed that the window was completely busted out,” she said.
Soon after, her contractor called with more bad news.
“He’s like, ‘Hey, Tara, somebody is trying to bust the windows,’ ... and then I hear, ‘hey!” Featherstone said. “And I hear a shattering. And when I came, the entire door was busted out.”
The people had broken the rear emergency exit at Laydee’s 1st Boutique, a retail store and hair salonthat Featherstone is working to open in a shopping center near Redwood Street and Sonoma Boulevard.
Featherstone posted her frustrations on social media, adding that vandalism isn’t the only challenge she’s facing.
“There is no way I can open a beauty business with people outside, they bring their mattresses, their shopping carts, they bring their dogs,” she said.
She said she’s dealing with constant dumping outside. And when it comes to the broken windows, there are limitations with insurance.
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“With so many claims, they just let me know they’re not going to renew my policy if I file another one,” Featherstone said. “So basically my hands are tied and the expenses are out of pocket.”
Featherstone would like help from the city. She said it’s a tough time for small business owners and there’s a lot at stake.
“I’m concerned about myself and my staff, but I’m more concerned about my customers,” she said. “I don’t want people to be in an environment where they don’t feel safe. Because if they don't feel safe, then they won’t be able to come and shop. And they won’t spread the good word about what we’re doing.”
After NBC Bay Area reached out to the city for comment, the mayor’s office shared this statement: “Picking up after the unhoused is a large concern everywhere. As a large inner urban city, Vallejo is no different. Each work day Vallejo pays for two full sized dump trucks with four full time public work department employees who spend 100% of their time moving items from public property to the landfill where they pay the applicable fees. The removal of similar items from private property is a responsibility of the private property owner, as are the repair of broken windows and the repair of broken doors.
Vallejo has more beds for the unhoused than does any other Solano County city, but is not and in all likelihood will never be enough absent massive state or federal financial assistance. Vallejo would be very grateful for any and all assistance the federal, state, and/or county government might provide. We all care deeply about resolving this staggering human need. But the harsh reality is there are insufficient financial and human resources to properly solve this dilemma.”
