Fresno business racks up $14,000 in COVID fines. Others also hit with controversial citations
A north Fresno business received more than $14,000 in citations for repeated violations of COVID-19 regulations, according to records released to The Bee on Friday.
A ticket was issued every day for 15 days straight from Oct. 17 to Oct. 31 to Planet Pumpkin, a temporary carnival business next to an am-pm ARCO gas station on Nees Avenue east of First Street, according to the records.
Planet Pumpkin had live music, carnival rides and games. Live music is permitted under the safety guidelines, but not dancing or a concert crowd.
Both the temporary space and the gas station are owned by Fresno-based Sequoia II LLC, according to records. Attempts to reach the owner were not successful.
Citations to businesses have been controversial, drawing at least two large public protests in Fresno. Some have shuttered their businesses altogether while others are holding on by a string.
Officials have said they are just trying to mitigate the spread of the disease.
Local hospitals are at capacity, according to health officials. Intensive-care units at hospitals across Fresno County saw the number of seriously ill COVID-19 patients in their beds leap by more than 25% in a single day on Wednesday.
Another patch, Pumpkin City on Shaw and Brawley avenues, was cited three times for a total of $2,500.
That temporary business also offered rides, which were prohibited under coronavirus-related measures. The first citation was written Oct. 19 and the rides had come down and stopped operating by the next day, records show.
The Waffle Shop has had a number of alleged violations cited by code enforcement officers, including fines of $250 Oct. 30 and $500 on Dec. 3, records show.
Smaller tickets related to social distancing or a lack of masks were given recently to Michelada’s, Fit Republic, Fort Washington Fitness and Sandwich Works.
- Michelada’s on Shaw Avenue; Oct. 22, $250
- Fit Republic on First Street; Nov. 30, $250
- Fort Washington Fitness on Fort Washington Road; Nov. 30, $250
- Sandwich Works on Ashlan Avenue; Dec. 1, $250
Fresno Mayor Lee Brand ordered the closure of many businesses that were not considered essential on March 18 to help slow the spread of the coronavirus. He lifted the order on May 26 and began to allow some shops to open with safety guidelines required by orders from Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Newsom’s plan for regional stay-at-home orders kicked in last week in the central San Joaquin Valley, closing some shops and further restricting others.
This story was originally published December 11, 2020 at 1:28 PM.
