Construction has officially begun at the long-dilapidated Surfside Motel and Apartments in Port Hueneme, marking a significant step forward seven months after the property owner entered into a compliance agreement with the city.
Residents driving past the site at 615 Port Hueneme Road have seen a construction crew working since mid-December, offering the first visible signs of progress after years of delays and legal disputes involving property owner and Central Coast landlord Dario Pini.
Pini declined to comment for this story. His attorney, Paul Burns, said the owner is making efforts to satisfy the city’s requirements and move the project forward.
City Manager James Vega said city staff remain focused on ensuring the site continues progressing under the terms of the agreement.
"Speaking for the city and our community, there were years of people feeling like progress was not being made on that property, so we put a priority on getting them to commit to making progress,” Vega said. “There are now visible signs that it’s finally moving forward.”
The Surfside property has been a source of contention for more than a decade. In 2012, Port Hueneme approved Pini’s plan to build 65 affordable housing units on the site, but the project was never completed. Seven years later, the city unsuccessfully sought a court order to place the property under third-party control to finish the development.
In 2021, the city approved a revised proposal to redevelop the property into 41 apartment units and 32 motel rooms, setting a two-and-a-half-year timeline for completion. That timeline lapsed, prompting further enforcement action.
In March 2025, the city red-tagged multiple structures as uninhabitable and hired housing attorney Matt Silver, who previously represented the City of Santa Barbara in a similar legal dispute with the developer.
With Silver’s assistance, the city and Pini entered into a compliance agreement on May 19, after inspections identified 197 violations spanning the California health and safety code, California building code, California fire code and Port Hueneme municipal code.
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The violations included missing smoke detectors, the absence of sprinkler systems and fire extinguishers, unsafe utility connections in vacant buildings, lack of proper permits and occupancy approvals, and poor property maintenance.
“Such violations are a public nuisance and pose a substantial danger to the health and safety of residents and the public,” said the 11-page compliance agreement recently obtained by The Star.
Vega said the volume of violations is unusual for Port Hueneme but appears consistent with issues tied to Pini’s properties in other jurisdictions.
Under the agreement, Pini must correct all violations, pass inspections, secure required permits and reimburse the city for enforcement costs by May 19, 2026. Failure to meet the deadline could result in court action, including the appointment of a receiver to take control of the property.
Burns said Pini submitted plans and permit applications to both the city and county in May and later secured all approvals necessary to begin construction.
“It’s a big step,” Vega said.
Since then, the remaining tenants have relocated, fencing and security measures have been installed, demolition and rough grading have been completed, and early-stage construction is underway.
Burns said crews are currently performing initial electrical work and beginning unit remodels.
“I would say all in all we've had a good relationship with the city and city attorneys in keeping it moving forward," Burns said.
However, both Burns and Vega cautioned that it remains uncertain whether the work will be completed by the deadline or if an extension will be requested.
“Our goal at the city is to resolve this situation once and for all,” Vega said. "But if you ask me to predict what Dario Pini is going to do, I can't."
If the agreement’s terms are not met, the city retains enforcement options, including injunctive relief or transferring control of the property to a third-party receiver.
Originally reported by Makena Huey, Ventura County Star in VC Star.
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