The Campbell Reporter

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Barry Swenson plans to clean up the Straw Hat Pizza property

By Koren Temple

Property owner Barry Swenson Builder is finally planning to clean up the old Straw Hat pizza lot, an eyesore the community has complained for a decade.

The property at 1400 W. Campbell Ave. is not going to be redeveloped yet, but there are plans to resolve its blighted appearance.

"We have received a formal application for improvement. The applicant is planning a face-lift to the existing building and improvements to the parking with the addition of landscaping," Campbell senior planner Jackie Young Lind said.

Swenson's project manager, Aaron Barger, told The Campbell Reporter in August the company is trying to maintain the property. At the time, planning commissioners expressed their displeasure with its rundown condition.

Campbell Planning Commissioner Tom Francois on Aug. 8 said, "They should put a bomb to that building," after hearing numerous complaints from the community.

Swenson Builders has hired security to patrol the lot. The developer placed exterior lighting on the property and hired a maintenance company to go out there once a month to make sure weeds were trimmed back. However, the property still looked blighted.

The proposed changes will include planting small flowers and new trees to replace the weeds in front of the property and painting the exterior of the building.

Swenson purchased the parcel in June 2002, which included the old Straw Hat Pizza building and a Mexican restaurant. The Mexican restaurant closed and is now operated by L&L Hawaiian Barbecue.

According to Campbell Community Development Director Sharon Fierro, original owner Ward Pinther sold the original Straw Hat property. The pizza restaurant started to decline when it became more of a takeout business. After a brief stint as a Pizza Hut, the property closed and began to deteriorate from negligence.

Since the 2002 purchase, the property has been up for lease. Barger said the developer tried to lease the property twice, but each time the interested party failed to finalize the agreement.

Barger said Swenson has plans to develop the 0.62-acre property with a three- or four-unit commercial building sometime in 2007.