Inspecters Bite GT with B Scores: and more...

Paww:

Tina's the Mexican food place in downtown GT plaza had sported a B rating sign this Sunday morning. The Chinese place qualified for one but owner said, simple I can fix that in ten minutes. Are to be retested the next Biz day then. Essentially making it without any official rating.

The Donut place is being Picked upon, as they used to leave doors open in summer, as they refused to turn on any A/C as it was too expensive. They had been warned to close front door in past a few times due to excessive houseflies entering the building.

Pizza place and Thai place are OK for now, but still have older rating letter hanging in front. The Food Conniption on North side does not have any rating noted, and may be in same situation as Oriental Quick stop.

No wonder restaurants are leaving GT and going to Riverside, the S B County inspectors want customers to eat off clean plates.

In addition to the restaurant inspections what is up with all the weekend construction and work being done when the City Building Inspectors are not available to inspect work or permit applications?

Gamps comment:

I know the County Health Inspections on restaurants serve their purpose.
However, I seldom care if a shop has a B rating as most of our own kitchens at home would not earn an B let alone the high A rating. A is always a good thing to have or try for but for me the consumer a B is not a deal breaker.

As you observe some of the issues a Health Inspector may have are easy to fix. Others are operational issues and if an owner would rather suffer a B rating for having the doors open than high energy costs well that is a business decision. I don't know of anyone getting ill from eating food at any GT restaurant. As with all trade, an informed consumer should make a decision where to take their trade.

Hats off to any and all businesses that are in Grand Terrace and stay in Grand Terrace after the Redevelopment Agency has contributed to the decline of foot traffic bringing them business. If businesses leave it will not be a result of a B Health Inspection. The departure will be a result of the "Redevelopment Agency and the City of Grand Terrace" moving the foot traffic down the road and Stater's Opening up a Mega Market with a Deli that will dry up the demand for their local services.

Staying in their current locations with the Stater's Mega Deli coming to town is a real threat to their operational success. The owners who consider moving are justified in thinking this through and I wish them well regardless of their decision to go or stay. The owners of business who prove that the RDA/City Action was the cause of or contributed to the need to move their businesses may be able to force payment from the RDA/City to help them relocate and get established in their new locations even if those locations are not in Grand Terrace. This is something Schwab and Berry and the City Attorney, should have told the City Council...

Chew on that the next time you eat out in GT...

Now onto weekend work being done in GT. Not all activity requires inspection or a permit. However, to aid in compliance where permits and inspections are needed the City should have a standardized pre-approved permit for common repairs and upgrades to businesses and homes. This would aid everyone involved in the process of making improvements.

An example of what should be pre-approved or pre-planned packets provided by the city include: Storage Shed Permit, Solar PV Panel Permit, Solar Water Heater Permit. Block wall, non retaining and retaining permit.) Homes and businesses should be allowed to go off the electrical grid if the owners desire. Homes should be allowed to use a gray water system for irrigation of their landscapes. Homes should be allowed to install certified composting toilets. Straw Bale Homes should be allowed in Grand Terrace, and other non traditional construction should be permitted if structurally sound.

But, hey I am a radical. Who now lives most of the time off the grid yet I still have all the comforts of a modern life... Sure hope GT catches up with the present so their future will be better. Schwab/Berry/and the City Council has been in the wait and see what works some where else and then jumps on that band wagon after the successful song has already ended and has been played out and should not be duplicated.

Perhaps the replacement business can be those who are Greener. I have heard of a Solar Powered Ice Cream Shop. Perhaps there are others that would find GT a place where they could be the attraction of foot traffic, not be dependent on foot traffic provided by Stater Brothers. Now that would be a real change of the GT economic base.

Gramps.