Abandoned city restaurant victim of graffiti

Pacifica Tribune, Letters to the Editor, 10/28/14.  "Building pride" by Rev. Piers Lahey (Daly City)

Before

Abandoned

Editor:  As I was driving on Oceana Boulevard today, I passed by the abandoned restaurant known by many as Dallas' Place and/or Spanky's. Of course, it's been sold, and there is some kind of plan in the works for an apartment/garage combination to be constructed there eventually. (Who knows when this will happen, if ever?)

In the meantime, this business which used to be an institution here in Pacifica (for lots of reasons, some nicer than others) just sits; broken windows boarded up, driveway chained off and, not surprisingly, graffiti appearing at different spots on the walls. At least the graffiti is in color; it shows that there is at least someone who is paying attention to the place. Even though it is just one building, it is a glaring example of urban blight, and I don't think it matters to anyone.

When I was the Pastor at Good Shepherd and someone defaced one of our buildings with graffiti, we were told at the time that we had 48 hours to clean the graffiti off and make the building look respectable again, or else. So, we dutifully complied; not sure what would happen if we failed to get the job done. We cared about our buildings and took pride in them.

Sadly, Spanky's is just cast aside, a hollowed out wreck of its former self. Is there anyone in charge who cares about this sad situation, or is this blight going to continue forever? Couldn't someone put Spanky's out of its misery and demolish the place?

Related -   Pacifica Tribune/Jane Northrop, Staff, 6/17/14, "Hotel project for Oceana Boulevard under review." The Pacifica Planning Commission met in a study session Monday with architect Patrick Mora, representing Rajputana Hotels, a company that wishes to build a hotel where Spanky's Restaurant, now closed, is located in the East Manor neighborhood. Photograph by Jane Northrop from this article.

Note active business photograph of Dallas' Place from Yelp; abandoned building by Jane Northrop from the related Pacifica Tribune article above.   

Posted by Kathy Meeh