Tag: City

Laguna Beach shuts down council meeting after ‘Zoombombing’ incident

[ad_1]

Laguna Beach officials on Tuesday ended a city council meeting early after a handful of speakers unleashed antisemitic, homophobic, transphobic and racist tirades over Zoom during a public comment period.

The incident appears to be an example of “Zoombombing,” an unfortunate trend that began when the pandemic forced public meetings to move online, allowing speakers to make comments from remote sites.

The meeting, where leaders were considering recognizing February as Black History Month and conducting other business, like appointing community members to committees, was peppered with profanity-laced comments about Latinos, members of the LGBTQ+ community and Black and Jewish people. After two hours, and roughly a dozen public speakers, Mayor Sue Kempf decided to adjourn the meeting and move it to another date.

“Our community’s dedication to civic engagement is commendable, and we are committed to ensuring a safe and respectful environment. Together, we will continue to uphold our values of inclusivity, respect, and integrity,” Kempf wrote in a statement.

Zoombombing, in which speakers aim to disrupt a public meeting, became an unwelcome trend during the pandemic when city and school district gatherings largely went online to avoid transmission of COVID-19.

“This was a targeted act by a relatively small number of people who are looking for publicity. They’re like ants,” said Brian Levin, the founding director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at Cal State San Bernardino. “This is really the conduct of a roving band of both small-numbered and small-minded bigots.”

The comments in Laguna Beach began less than an hour into the meeting during a period set aside for people to give their thoughts on issues not on the council’s agenda.

After two speakers used antisemitic language and a third sought to speak about the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., City Atty. Megan Garibaldi briefly paused the comments to explain that this attempt at Zoombombing was a way to “try to test the city government” to see if they’ll shut down speech in violation of the 1st Amendment.

“To the extent that these comments start to get to the point of disrupting our meeting … we can suspend comment. Otherwise, unfortunately, we have to proceed with comment until they’re over,” she told the crowd.

The profanity and conspiracy-laden comments continued after the council moved onto the consent calendar. At one point, after a man used anti-gay and anti-Jewish slurs, city officials paused the meeting to give members of the audience a chance to step outside until the comments were over. Officials attempted to continue the meeting, but the hate speech continued.

After several breaks and attempts to move the discussion forward, Kempf said she was ending the meeting.

“We couldn’t get any work done,” Kempf said Wednesday morning. “It just wasn’t productive.”

Cities and schools across California from the Bay Area to San Diego have grappled with Zoombombing during their meetings.

Many of the Zoombombing incidents are the work of individuals associated with a small, known hate group. The incident comes at a time when anti-Jewish hate is surging across the United States, Levin said.

In Orange County, the Jewish community was the most targeted for religious-related hate activity in 2022, according to a report published last year by the OC Human Relations Commission. New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, Portland, Ore., and other major cities also hit records for anti-Jewish hate crimes in 2023, Levin said.

“There is a greater resilience with respect to these kinds of bigotries because of both the destruction of the internet and the the down-sloping direction of civic discourse,” he said.

In Laguna Beach, which has been celebrated for decades as a haven for the LGBTQ+ community, residents attending the meeting were visibly angry.

Some shouted from the audience that the council should stop the Zoom feed.

Mayor Pro Tem Alex Rounaghi called the comments from the Zoom speakers “horrible” and said they don’t reflect Laguna Beach values.

“We all know the 1st Amendment protects everyone’s right to speech, even hate speech, but we can add our voices too,” he said. “This is a place that is not only tolerant of diversity of all forms but also embraces it.”

[ad_2]

Hannah Fry

Source link

February 14, 2024
Dramatic drone footage shows luxury homes on edge of California cliff

[ad_1]

The three multimillion-dollar estates perched high on the edge of a Dana Point bluff boast some of the most magnificent views in Orange County: unobstructed panoramas of the crystal blue Pacific, boats moored in the harbor and, on a clear day, Santa Catalina.

But back-to-back rainstorms have prompted fresh concerns about the homes on the aptly named Scenic Drive. The same steep cliff that falls away under the properties — giving them the illusion of being on the edge of the Earth — has withered under the atmospheric river precipitation that pounded Southern California last week. A portion of the cliff leading up to the blufftop homes washed away in the torrent.

But though their perch appears precarious, none of the homes have been evacuated or deemed too dangerous to occupy — even with more rain in the forecast, officials said.

Dr. Lewis Bruggeman, who owns the home just above the slide area, told KCAL-TV Channel 9 that his house is “not threatened and it will not be red-tagged.”

“The city agrees that there’s no major structural issue with the house right now,” he told the station. Bruggeman did not respond to a request for comment from The Times on Tuesday.

The slide erased the greenery that just recently backed up to Bruggeman’s home, a 9,700-square-foot compound estimated to be worth nearly $16 million, leaving only sandy soil behind. On Tuesday, piles of rocks and dirt sat on the shoreline below.

An aerial view of three large homes in Dana Point after a cliffside gave way following recent heavy rains. A satellite image from Google Earth shows the cliffside before the landslide. (Photo by Allen J. Schaben; photo animation by Lorena Elebee / Los Angeles Times)

The city’s geotechnical engineer and a building inspector have visited the home to assess the slope failure, according to Dana Point officials.

“Engineers who already surveyed the home said there was no damage and there is no imminent threat to the structure, which is really good news,” said Mayor Jamey Federico. “So quite frankly, it looks a lot scarier than it really is.”

The entire property, including all the way down the cliff to the high tide line, is privately owned, he added.

Many cities in south and coastal Orange County have a long history of landslides, particularly during wet weather.

In Laguna Beach, a 1978 landslide destroyed more than 20 homes in Bluebird Canyon. The same area slid again in 2005, destroying 17 homes.

After a winter of heavy rains in 1998, several homes slid down a hillside below Via Estoril in the Niguel Summit neighborhood of Laguna Niguel. Homeowners said their properties had shown signs of moving for months before they toppled down the hill.

More recent slides in San Clemente have damaged the historic Casa Romantica and periodically interrupted train service between Orange and San Diego counties.

Last week’s storm dumped 7.5 inches of rain in Dana Point. The city has received about 9.5 inches since Jan. 1, said Casey Oswant, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in San Diego.

Strong downpours triggered more than 500 mudslides in the city of Los Angeles alone and damaged more than 45 homes and buildings.

And more wet weather is on the horizon.

Based on current models, Orange County is likely to see more rain from the system moving into the region this weekend than other areas such as San Diego, though forecasters say it’s too early to say exactly how potent the storm will be.

“There’s potential for this to be another prolonged rain event,” Oswant said.

Steve Viani, a civil engineer who has experience with landslides, said tarps should be placed over the bare soil on the Dana Point property and pipes should be installed on gutters and downspouts to carry water away from the building foundation ahead of this weekend’s storm.

Prolonged rain on the bare soil could further damage the slope, he said, adding that it could “give way at any time.”

Visitors hiked along the adjacent Dana Point Headlands nature preserve on Tuesday morning, many completely unaware of the damage to the cliff, which is only visible from the ocean.

Billy Prescott, 56, who spent 25 years living in Dana Point before relocating to Idaho, said he’d come to expect landslides and ground movement along the coast — particularly during El Niño years.

“It’s just Mother Nature,” he said. “You don’t always win going up against her.”

[ad_2]

Hannah Fry

Source link

February 14, 2024
Opinion: Renting in L.A. could go from bad to worse

[ad_1]

Renting in Los Angeles is about to become more difficult for many people.

The last of Los Angeles’ pandemic-era renter protections expired Feb. 1. For the first time since April 2020, owners of rent-stabilized apartments — 70% of rental units in the city — are allowed to increase rents. And the last chunk of any unpaid back rent is due.

Don’t expect a soft landing. Depending on how the city responds, it could find itself escalating a lose-lose conflict with local landlords, and the pain would be widely felt: More than half of Angelenos live in rental units.

Already the city is bracing for a spike in evictions and homelessness. An estimated 90,000 households have outstanding rent debt from the period when pandemic protections were in place, and roughly 60% may be unable to pay it.

The city’s fledgling renter assistance program has distributed only a fraction of its $30-million budget; it has 30,000 applicants requesting a total $473 million to cover back rent. A small minority of applicants have been approved but have not yet received money; they have been given a 120-day grace period to avoid eviction. But most applicants still have no idea whether they’ll be approved.

The dominoes started falling last year. Eviction filings doubled from 5,000 in February to 10,000 in April and May after tenants were once again required to pay full monthly rent (separate from unpaid back rent) to avoid eviction. Ever since, evictions have remained 20% to 25% higher than the old baseline.

After the uncertainty of recent years, many landlords are likely to be looking for more revenue and stability. The pandemic was a scarring experience for smaller landlords, many of whom found themselves squeezed as their nonpaying tenants were protected by the city and as rents remained frozen amid historic inflation. Of course, landlords are not entitled to perpetual positive returns. Housing, like any asset, has downside risk. Some landlords — especially those who aggressively scooped up new rental units anticipating a surefire payday — lost that bet during the pandemic.

At the same time, landlords are within their rights to evict tenants who don’t pay. They would also be justified in more carefully vetting potential tenants within the bounds of the Fair Housing Act. Rather than rent units quickly, they may let units sit empty as they wait to find more financially established tenants. This could make it even harder to secure affordable housing in L.A. — especially for those with unsteady incomes (gig workers, contractors, artists) as well as those with potential red flags that background checks will inevitably uncover (such as justice-involved individuals and renters with poor credit histories or past evictions).

The city has launched a tenants’ rights awareness campaign, which could deter some overzealous landlords. The city also aims to aggressively expand the availability of legal counsel for those facing eviction.

Legal representation is a core part of the judicial process — and it’s crucial that tenants be protected from unlawful evictions. However, paying a fleet of public defenders to contest and delay every attempt at eviction might add fuel to the fire while draining the resources of the city and landlords alike.

While universal right-to-counsel programs boast high success rates of keeping people housed, it’s unclear what percentage of these successes involve averting an illegal eviction versus a landlord giving up and eating the cost of lost rent. Ninety-six percent of evictions in L.A. in 2023 came from nonpayment of rent, which should mostly be cut-and-dried cases. There are also other, less costly ways to prevent illegal eviction filings from reaching court. In some cities, tenants with complaints about living conditions can protect themselves from landlord retaliation by legally withholding rent and depositing it in a third-party escrow account.

It’s expected that providing counsel will cost the city $68 million each year — and recall that the city dredged up only $30 million for its rental assistance program. These resources could be focused on rehousing displaced families as quickly as possible. Instead the city is pursuing a policy that further antagonizes landlords and sends tenants the message that they might be able to get away with not paying rent if they fight hard enough.

Los Angeles doesn’t have to go straight to the most costly and adversarial policy to reduce evictions and prevent homelessness. In Philadelphia, lawmakers made permanent an eviction diversion program at a cost of $15 million. Landlords seeking an eviction are required to participate in a 30-day mediation period with a single goal: settling disagreements out of court and without an eviction. Under this program, more than 70% of disputes have successfully come to an agreement outside of court. Hawaii did similarly, with 87% of cases resulting in settlement.

Los Angeles can ill afford a drawn-out power struggle with landlords. That risks creating a “survival of the fittest” landscape where only property owners able to weather and adapt to renter protections stay in the market. Corporations already own more than 40% of the city’s rental units, a figure that could grow if smaller landlords make good on their threats to exit the market, either selling out to corporate owners or taking units off the market. That’s potentially a huge problem for this rental market, which is already among the worst in the nation when it comes to housing production.

On a more promising note, the economy has been roaring with job creation and higher wages for those at the lower end of the income distribution. Many have been back at work after a tumultuous year of strikes. That bodes well for tenants facing their first rent hikes in four years.

But the fact remains that Los Angeles is one of the least affordable places to live in the country. That’s the root cause of the impending eviction crisis and why renters needed so much protection in the first place. If the city prefers to keep strengthening renter protections while simultaneously blocking developers from constructing affordable housing, brace for a new status quo: a stricter, even pricier rental market under the growing watch of aggravated landlords and faceless corporations.

George Zuo is an associate economist at Rand and a professor of policy analysis at the Pardee Rand Graduate School.

[ad_2]

George Zuo

Source link

February 13, 2024
Work begins on transformative condo and hotel development in Beverly Hills

[ad_1]

Construction has begun on One Beverly Hills, a nearly $5-billion condominium and hotel complex that promises to transform the Beverly Hills skyline and be a commanding presence on its western edge.

With tall greenery-laden towers standing over a sprawling garden, the complex set to open by early 2028 is expected to house some of the priciest condos and hotel suites in the country, as developers seek to capitalize on the city’s international reputation for luxury and celebrity.

Owners of the property at Wilshire and Santa Monica boulevards ceremonially broke ground Thursday on what they call a 17.5-acre “urban resort” that will unify the neighboring Beverly Hilton and Waldorf Astoria hotels with condo high-rises, 8.5-acres of botanical gardens and the first ultra-deluxe Aman hotel on the West Coast.

Rendering of an entrance to One Beverly Hills on Santa Monica Boulevard near the retail portion of the complex.

(Foster + Partners)

The scope of the complex, which will have by far the two tallest towers in Beverly Hills, marks a departure from years past when the city made a point of keeping its commercial buildings small scale compared to next-door neighbors Los Angeles and West Hollywood.

“Candidly, I think it marks a new generation of Beverly hills,” Mayor Julian Gold said. “Cities need to grow just like people grow. They can’t be stagnant, they cannot stay only the way they were.”

One Beverly Hills will be “new and fresh in a big way,” he said. “The investment is enormous. It will redefine luxury in Beverly Hills.”

The Beverly Hills City Council approved the project in 2021 over the objection of Councilmember and former Mayor John Mirisch, who called the proposed development “elitist, exclusive and exclusionary.”

“Without affordable housing, the project has turned into a castle-fortress of exclusion,” Mirisch told the other four council members.

Current Mayor Gold said tax revenue from One Beverly Hills will be used to fund affordable housing in other parts of the city. He estimated that the complex will generate tens of millions of dollars in annual taxes for the city.

The two towers — 26 and 32 stories — will have a combined total of fewer than 200 condos. The number is variable because people may buy more than one unit and combine them, developer Jonathan Goldstein of Cain International said.

Prices have not yet been set, but Beverly Hills is one of the most expensive housing markets in the country and units can be expected to cost tens of millions of dollars. Recent top-tier luxury condo listings in the Los Angeles area range from $20 million to $50 million.

The tower residences will be branded and serviced by Aman, a Swiss company owned by Russian-born real estate developer Vlad Doronin, that was described by Forbes as “the world’s most preeminent resort brand” and attracts such affluent guests as Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, and George and Amal Clooney.

Aman is best known for its small resorts in tropical locales or historically significant properties such as a 16th century palazzo in Venice, but also has urban outposts in Tokyo and New York, where suites start at about $1,800 a night.

The Aman in Beverly Hills will have 75 suites in a 10-story building. It will also have a club that members can join for a price. Its New York club made news in 2022 by charging an initiation fee of as much as $200,000 while receiving mixed reviews in local publications. Residents in the Bevery Hills condos may receive Aman services such as housekeeping and room service.

The most public aspect of One Beverly Hills will be the gardens designed by Los Angeles architecture firm RIOS, which also designed the 12-acre Gloria Molina Grand Park in downtown Los Angeles and created a new master plan for Descanso Gardens in La Cañada Flintridge.

RIOS’ plan for One Beverly Hills calls for distinct sets of botanical gardens intended to reflect the diverse landscape of Southern California with mostly drought-resistant native plants living on recycled water. The gardens will have more than 200 species of plants and trees including palms, oaks, sycamores, succulents and olives.

The Beverly Hilton hotel will receive renovations as part of the project.

(Foster + Partners)

“I am really interested in pursuing what a botanical environment is for the 21st century,” firm founder Mark Rios said when the project was first announced. It will consume tons of carbon dioxide while “teaching people that drought-quality planting doesn’t mean cactus.”

About half of the gardens will be for the exclusive use of residents, Aman club members and hotel guests. The rest of the gardens will be open to the public.

One Beverly Hills is “one of the biggest projects in North America,” with a total cost of between $4 billion and $5 billion, said Goldstein, chief executive of Cain International. The London-based investment firm is overseeing the development with OKO Group, an international real estate development firm created by Doronin, who called Beverly Hills “the natural next step for Aman as we continue our strategic growth into the world’s finest urban centers.”

The development will produce more than 2,700 direct construction jobs, Cain International said. It estimated that One Beverly Hills will generate about $40 billion in total local spending across 30 years, $9 billion of which will be new.

One Beverly Hills was master planned by Foster + Partners, with Aman designs by KHA (Kerry Hill Architects) of Australia and Singapore. London-based Foster + Partners is led by Norman Foster, an English lord perhaps best known for designing a landmark lipstick-like skyscraper in London known as the Gherkin and the hoop-shaped Apple Inc. headquarters in Cupertino, Calif.

Significant upgrades and restorations to the historic Beverly Hilton will also take place as part of the project, Cain International said. The Beverly Hilton was hotelier Conrad Hilton’s most luxurious property when it opened in 1955 and has been the home to the annual Golden Globe Awards since 1961.

One Beverly Hills will include shops and restaurants intended to complement the city’s upscale retail areas, Goldstein said.

Most of the early interest in buying condos is from local residents looking to leave their large homes, he said, along with international buyers familiar with Aman hotels.

Although the neighborhood is dominated by single-family homes, Beverly Hills real estate agent Bret Parsons of Compass said interest in condos has grown in recent years.

“We have an aging population in Southern California who need to downsize and we don’t have enough one-level homes for this affluent population to move to,” Parsons said. “Condos are very appealing for an older person because they can be very, very luxurious, on one level, and you get all the services you can imagine.”

The One Beverly Hills property includes vacant land formerly occupied by a famed Robinsons-May department store that sits west of the hotels. The site was considered one of the most desirable real estate development sites in the country but has lain fallow for years as previous plans to develop it failed to materialize. Cain International was able to secure control of the vacant land and existing hotel property and unite them in the new project designed by Foster.

A guest suite at the Aman with a private pool.

(Kerry Hill Architects)

Merv Griffin Way, which cuts between the two parcels, will be covered by a new level that supports the gardens but remain a pass-through between Santa Monica and Wilshire boulevards. The garden will also cover an underground garage for 1,800 vehicles.

“This is our western gateway,” the mayor said. “As you enter Beverly hills, it will be amazing.”

[ad_2]

Roger Vincent

Source link

February 8, 2024
How much can your rent go up in California? Check this website

[ad_1]

California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta on Wednesday announced new consumer tools for tenants and landlords to understand how much rent can rise each year under a state rent cap law.

The law, which took effect in 2020, restricts rent increases in buildings more than 15 years old. Under the rules, rent can rise no more than 5% plus local inflation, with an ultimate cap of 10%.

However, until now the state did not provide an online resource that said exactly what the limits were for local areas. As a result, people had to find that information elsewhere or calculate local limits themselves using government inflation figures.

As of Wednesday, landlords and tenants can go to a state website to learn more about county rent limits, as well as eviction protections provided by the rent cap law.

Rent limits for individual counties can be found by scrolling down to the section labeled “Know Your Rights as a California Tenant” and clicking on your preferred language.

It’s unclear whether the state will publish the county limits each year when they change based on inflation data. Bonta’s office did not respond to a request for comment.

“Information on tenant rights should be accessible, easy to understand, and available to all Californians, and today’s consumer alerts aim to do just that,” Bonta said in a statement.

Under the state law, landlords of buildings older than 15 years in L.A. County can raise their rent no more than 8.8% through July 31, after which a new limit will be set based on inflation.

The state law does not override stricter local rent control laws, such as in the city of Los Angeles. There, if a property falls under the city’s rent stabilization ordinance, rent increases are currently capped at 4%, or 6% if the landlord pays for gas and other utilities.

Buildings that fall under the city’s rent stabilization ordinance are generally properties built on or before Oct. 1, 1978.

Times staff writer Liam Dillon contributed to this report.

[ad_2]

Andrew Khouri

Source link

February 7, 2024
More rain, more car-damaging potholes. Here’s how you can get repaid for damage

[ad_1]

Rain breeds potholes in aging roads around Southern California. You can file a claim for damage your car incurs, but reimbursement is not guaranteed.

[ad_2]

Jon Healey

Source link

February 7, 2024
(Sky Sports)
[ad_1]
India 1st innings
Total

396 all out, from 112 overs.

Batting

Runs
Balls
4s
6s
SR

Jaiswal
c Bairstow b Anderson;
209 runs,
290 balls,
19 fours,
7 sixes,
and a strike rate of 72.07

Sharma (c)
c Pope b Bashir;
14 runs,
41 balls,
0 fours,
0 sixes,
and a strike rate of 34.15

Gill
c Foakes b Anderson;
34 runs,
46 balls,
5 fours,
0 sixes,
and a strike rate of 73.91

Iyer
c Foakes b Hartley;
27 runs,
59 balls,
3 fours,
0 sixes,
and a strike rate of 45.76

Patidar
b Ahmed;
32 runs,
72 balls,
3 fours,
0 sixes,
and a strike rate of 44.44

Patel
c Ahmed b Bashir;
27 runs,
51 balls,
4 fours,
0 sixes,
and a strike rate of 52.94

Bharat (wk)
c Bashir b Ahmed;
17 runs,
23 balls,
2 fours,
1 sixes,
and a strike rate of 73.91

Ashwin
c Foakes b Anderson;
20 runs,
37 balls,
4 fours,
0 sixes,
and a strike rate of 54.05

Yadav
not out;
8 runs,
42 balls,
0 fours,
0 sixes,
and a strike rate of 19.05

Bumrah
c Root b Ahmed;
6 runs,
9 balls,
1 fours,
0 sixes,
and a strike rate of 66.67

Mukesh Kumar
c Root b Bashir;
0 runs,
3 balls,
0 fours,
0 sixes,
and a strike rate of 0.00
Fall of Wickets
- Rohit Sharma at 40 for 1, from 17.3 overs
- Shubman Gill at 89 for 2, from 28.5 overs
- Shreyas Iyer at 179 for 3, from 50.4 overs
- Rajat Patidar at 249 for 4, from 71.1 overs
- Axar Patel at 301 for 5, from 85.3 overs
- Srikar Bharat at 330 for 6, from 90.6 overs
- Ravichandran Ashwin at 364 for 7, from 100.3 overs
- Yashasvi Jaiswal at 383 for 8, from 106.5 overs
- Jasprit Bumrah at 395 for 9, from 110.5 overs
- Mukesh Kumar at 396 for 10, from 111.6 overs
Bowling

Overs
Maidens
Runs
Wickets
Econ

Anderson:
25overs,
4 maidens,
47 runs,
3 wickets,
and an economy of 1.88.

Root:
14overs,
0 maidens,
71 runs,
0 wickets,
and an economy of 5.07.

Hartley:
18overs,
2 maidens,
74 runs,
1 wickets,
and an economy of 4.11.

Bashir:
38overs,
1 maidens,
138 runs,
3 wickets,
and an economy of 3.63.

Ahmed:
17overs,
2 maidens,
65 runs,
3 wickets,
and an economy of 3.82.
[ad_2]

Source link
February 2, 2024
Austin Pets Alive! | Standing Up and Taking Action for Austin’s…

[ad_1]

February 1st was a big day in the City of Austin — a potential butterfly effect in the history of No Kill. While our city leadership is working to find solutions, there is much work to be done in the next six months and beyond in order to help us continue our forward movement as leaders in animal advocacy.

[ad_2]

Source link

February 2, 2024
Column: Vandalism or street art? What the graffiti-tagged high-rises say about L.A.

[ad_1]

From a parking lot on the corner of 12th and Figueroa streets, Michael Lopez carefully commandeered his drone through the skyline around LA Live.

A video screen showed the drone’s slow ascent. Up and up it went, until it framed a shot almost straight out of Ansel Adams. The cloud-covered San Gabriel Mountains. Green foothills glimmering from recent rains. And an abandoned, half-finished skyscraper plastered in bright, bubbly graffiti.

Two other towers were similarly hit, virtually every floor of each 20-plus-story building featuring graffiti on the corners.

The unfinished Oceanwide Plaza in downtown L.A. is marked with graffiti after being tagged this week.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

The audacity and visibility of the taggers’ feat — you can see it from the 10 Freeway and as far away as the Sixth Street Bridge — and the fact that the Grammys will be held on Sunday across the street at Crypto.com Arena has attracted worldwide attention.

It’s also become L.A.’s latest Rorschach test.

For civic leaders and professional L.A. haters, it’s the latest proof that the city is spiraling down in a doom cycle, another nightmare to add to our dumpster fire of street takeovers, homeless encampments and mass break-ins. The $1 billion behemoth, called Oceanwide Plaza, was once one of the biggest real estate projects in the city, but construction was halted five years ago when its Chinese developer ran out of money.

For Lopez, however, the graffed-up buildings, which were supposed to feature hotel and retail space as well as luxury condominiums and apartments, are the latest thing to love about his hometown.

“It’s beautiful. It’s amazing,” he said. He held his drone shot and waved over a friend who goes by Juan G. The two had driven up from South L.A. to take in the scene.

“I know it’s getting mixed reviews,” Juan deadpanned, before adding, “I’m sure the people who live in the lofts across the street didn’t like getting peeped at!”

He continued to crane his neck upward. I rattled off some tags visible from the lower floors — Axion. Inkz. Cuts. XN28.

“You’re never going to see something like this again,” Juan continued. “The rules are going to change. The security is gonna come in here hard. But to have been a part of that? To see this up close? It’s a once-in-a-lifetime moment.”

I’m no fan of graffiti, but I couldn’t help but admire what the taggers had accomplished. Before us was a monument to the Los Angeles of the moment, highlighting so many issues, consciously or not. Rampant overdevelopment downtown. Civic corruption. Out-of-control graffiti.

A place with so much potential, yet so much desmadre.

If someone tried this at Art Basel, it would sell for millions. If Banksy pulled off a project of this scope, he’d be hailed as a genius. Since it’s a bunch of mostly anonymous people (two have been arrested and released), polite L.A. is in an uproar. Even Kevin de León, the city council member who represents downtown, emerged from his hiding hole on Groundhog Day to tell KTLA Channel 5 that Los Angeles should not be an “open canvas [for] budding artists.”

It’s easy to portray the taggers as vandals intent on destroying L.A. But the towers have rotted while L.A.’s bureaucracy has done little to address the situation.

Oceanwide Plaza has sat empty and mostly forgotten, until a group of taggers spray-painted graffiti on the towers.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Instead, the taggers took it upon themselves to transform something ugly into something far more vibrant. Isn’t that L.A. at its finest?

That they used the medium of street art makes their work that much more Angeleno.

The city has felt under siege from graffiti for decades. I used to estimate my drive time on the 10 by tracking the exit ramps on the freeway signs. Now, I can do it based on which giant tag on which huge warehouse I just passed.

Graffiti at its worst does nothing to beautify neighborhoods. But what happened at Oceanwide Plaza wasn’t some spur of the moment scribble. The ingenuity in methodically bombing every corner with dozens of names, exemplifies the teamwork we should all aspire to. The failure here was from a company that has no money to afford security guards and a city government that should never have approved the pie-in-the-sky venture in the first place.

Besides, graffiti has been a part of working-class Southern California for decades. Even I, a nerdy teen, scratched “Pharaoh” on windows and wooden desks in eighth grade until security guards at my Anaheim school took away my etching tool. There was something liberating — validating even — to see an art form long demonized as vandalism, at the same time that large corporations have appropriated it, take over such a visible part of downtown.

“All of this doesn’t just belong to the developers,” Lopez said. “It belongs to all of us.”

Above the parking lot where he and Juan stood loomed a two-story mural featuring Clippers superstar Kawhi Leonard, street-art style. He was surrounded by bromides such as “Never Never Give Up” and “Follow Your Dreams” in scrawls that tried to mimic graffiti but were as cool as mom jeans.

“They call this art,” Juan said before waving back toward the skyscrapers, “and not that?”

I left them and walked to the front of the Crypto.com Arena. There, I found Zack Woodard taking photos of the tagged-up high rises before asking a friend to capture him with the buildings as a backdrop. High above him, a tattered, pockmarked white banner that read “Oceanwide Plaza” hung from an unfinished structure.

“When I Ubered to here on Wednesday, it was only half-done,” said Woodard, who’s in town for the Grammys as program director for the Grammy Museum Mississippi. “It’s really impressive to see how quickly they finished it.”

Another friend, Rachel Patterson, continued to look upward. “I couldn’t imagine going all the way up there!”

“People say it makes the skyline look bad,” Woodard said. “But it’s not going to be there forever. It’s done nice. Besides, street art is a part of L.A. history.”

He asked me what the buildings were supposed to have been. When I told him residential and retail, Woodard scoffed — “Just like everything else in L.A.”

As I drove off, I passed by the parking lot where I had met Lopez and Juan. More people surrounded them, all looking up, all with big smiles on their faces.

I smiled, too. There are a lot of things wrong with Los Angeles, but tagged-up ruins that bring happiness to locals and tourists alike are the least of them.

[ad_2]

Gustavo Arellano

Source link

February 2, 2024
L.A. tenants awaiting emergency rental assistance receive eviction protection

[ad_1]

The Los Angeles City Council adopted an ordinance Friday that prevents the eviction of tenants who are waiting to receive emergency rental assistance from the city.

The vote came one day after the deadline to pay rent debt accumulated during the COVID-19 pandemic.

More than 3,200 residents have been approved for the United to House L.A. Emergency Renters Assistance Program, which provides up to six months of unpaid rent for accepted applicants. Only 25% of the $30.4 million allocated for rental assistance has been distributed.

That means a significant number of renters who have been promised emergency funds have not yet received their money. Thousands more are waiting to hear if they have been approved for the program, which has received more than 31,000 applications.

Only those who have been approved will receive eviction protection.

Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez, who introduced the motion to draft the ordinance last week, said prevention is essential while fighting homelessness. She wants to stem the eviction-to-homelessness pipeline, she said.

“I don’t see us getting out of this homelessness crisis unless we as a city truly make transformational policy decisions around keeping people in their housing,” she said.

There are not enough funds to assist every United to House L.A. applicant — according to Los Angeles Housing Department data, there were $472 million in claims from applicants, nearly $454 million more than the total available. Applications closed in October.

It will take roughly 120 days from now for all applications to be processed. All applicants approved on or before May 31 will be protected from eviction, according to the draft ordinance the City Council voted to adopt Friday. Renters waiting to hear back will be at risk of eviction until their application is approved.

Eviction protection applies only if the sole reason for eviction is nonpayment of rent.

An earlier version of the motion that led to the ordinance would have protected all renters who applied for emergency funds regardless of their application status. Groups representing property owners raised concerns that this would lead to an indefinite delay of rent payments without the option to evict.

“We’re thankful that the council narrowed it down to a smaller pool of individuals who have been approved,” said Fred Sutton, senior vice president of local public affairs for the California Apartment Assn.

“But there remains the concern that this whole item was really rushed in a manner that isn’t acceptable,” he said.

The City Council motion that prompted the ordinance was introduced Jan. 24 and approved Jan. 26. The ordinance was then drafted and adopted Feb. 2. Hernandez said it was necessary to move fast considering Thursday’s deadline.

Rental arrears from Oct. 1, 2021, to Jan. 31, 2023, were due Thursday, the same day rent increases became allowed for units that fall under the city’s rent stabilization ordinance. Tenants living in rent-stabilized units could see rent increases of up to 4%, or 6% if the landlord pays for gas and electricity.

“Housing is a human right,” Hernandez said. “For the Feb. 1 rent deadline to happen on the same day that rent increases take place, it’s just really sad.”

Amid the challenges renters face, Hernandez said she hopes this ordinance will provide the protection necessary to keep people off the street.

“With just a little bit of help, they will stay in their housing,” she said.

[ad_2]

Caroline Petrow-Cohen

Source link

February 2, 2024
What L.A. renters should know now that COVID tenant protections are gone

[ad_1]

Most renter protection programs launched during the pandemic in Los Angeles have expired, and tenants who couldn’t pay rent due to economic hardships brought on by the COVID-19 outbreak must pay rent again starting Thursday.

That includes back rent owed from Oct. 1, 2021, to Jan. 31, 2023. Tenant advocates say it is preposterous to expect renters to pay the full amount from that period. The end of such renter protection programs are likely to result in many struggling renters becoming homeless or leaving the city and state altogether, said Larry Gross, executive director with the tenants advocacy group Coalition for Economic Survival.

“For those who are struggling to make ends meet, this is going to place a tremendous increased burden,” Gross said. “These tenants are essentially on the track to economic catastrophe, and there’s not much being done for them.”

Rent increases can resume

Evictions for nonpayment can resume starting Thursday, according to the Los Angeles Housing Department. Anyone who receives an eviction notice from their landlord — referred to in the courts as an unlawful detainer — should file a response to the courts within five days or risk losing their case by default. The city offers assistance for tenants facing an eviction notice at stayhousedla.org.

Bianca Lopez, an outreach worker with We Are Los Angeles, signs up a tenant for an information seminar on renters’ rights on Jan. 18, 2024.

(Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times)

Landlords can also increase rent over the next four months by as much as 6% annually if they pay for gas and electric in the tenant’s rental unit. This applies to rental units built before Oct. 1, 1978, and covered by the city’s Rental Stabilization Ordinance. These residents cannot be evicted without just cause, but tenants in units not protected by the RSO could see higher rent increases.

“The key thing for every tenant to know is their rights, and they need to not just react to whatever notice they get for from their landlord,” Gross said about rent increases and eviction notices.

Tenants should consider whether they face a legal or illegal eviction effort by their landlord. Renters can turn to legal aid clinics, such as the weekly Zoom meeting hosted by Coalition for Economic Survival, to determine what their options are and what resources they can use.

Landlords also cannot evict a tenant if they owe rent that is less than a certain threshold called the fair market rent of the unit. For example in 2024, the rent of a one-bedroom apartment is $2,006, and if a tenant owes less in rent, then they cannot be served notice, according to the city’s Housing Department.

The pet stays in the picture

The city enacted a tenant law during the pandemic that would not penalize renters who took in a pet, even if the pet was not allowed under their lease agreement.

The rule remains in effect for as long as the pet is alive but does not apply to pets who moved into the rental after Jan. 31, 2023, according to the ordinance. It was meant to deter people being forced to choose between keeping their pet or keeping their housing.

Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez said the new law is designed to address the wide-ranging effects that the pandemic had on some people’s lives.

“Many people lost their loved ones and were dealing with isolation from quarantine, which led many to get new additions to their families,” Hernandez said. “These pets have helped people get through difficult times, and tenants should not be evicted from their homes because of the pets.”

Rent relief from the city

Mayor Karen Bass’ office encourages renters to know their rights and suggests tenants who face eviction contact the Housing Department hotline at (866) 557-7368. Tenant advocates warn renters to seek advice if they receive a notice to vacate from their landlord, rather than self-evict.

“In order to confront this crisis, we must do all that we can to prevent people from falling into homelessness in the first place,” Bass said in a statement. “Together with locked arms, we will continue our work to provide resources for the people of Los Angeles.”

The city of Los Angeles operates a rental protection program, known as United to House L.A. Emergency Renters Assistance Program, but it has had problems. The program set aside $30 million for rental relief but accepted applications only for a few weeks in September and October. So far, the program has approved about 3,200 tenants to secure rental relief of up to six months of rent, but most have yet to get their payments. About a quarter of the $30 million in funding has been dispersed, and an additional 25,000 tenants who applied for the program are still waiting for an answer.

On Jan. 26, the City Council voted to protect tenants from eviction if they were approved to receive funding through the program but have not yet received any money. That protection could extend to more renters who get approval in the meantime, which should stave off an eviction notice from their landlord.

“Tenants who have already been approved for emergency rental assistance should not be evicted while they’re waiting for their checks,” Councilman Paul Krekorian said at the council meeting. “Their landlords are going to get paid, so they shouldn’t be putting tenants out just because the city took a little longer to get them the money.”

But there is uncertainty surrounding the funding and who could qualify.

“Unfortunately, many tenants in the queue haven’t been notified whether or not they’re even eligible,” Gross said. “So they’ve been holding on and waiting. Some of them waiting for letters and approval that will never come.”

The scope of the problem

The number of households behind on their rent in Los Angeles is between 100,000 and 150,000, according to a study conducted by the University of Pennsylvania on behalf of the city of Los Angeles. More than 10% of those surveyed last summer said they were more than a year behind.

“Households who reported being behind on rent were more likely to have children, to have a disability, to identify as Black or Latinx, and to have larger household sizes compared to other renter households,” the study authors wrote.

The survey said the number of tenants behind on their rent is greater than what is projected in publicly available data from local government agencies.

According to the survey, those who are newly vulnerable to eviction in Los Angeles include about 60% — or 90,000 households — who recently fell behind on rent and could be evicted for nonpayment. The remainder fell behind on their rent payments before Oct. 1, 2021, or fell behind the last several months. The most vulnerable group in danger of eviction for nonpayment are tenants who hold graduate degrees and are less likely to be in the labor force, compared with others with outstanding debt, according to the study authors.

Among Los Angeles landlords with outstanding debt due to tenants behind on their rent, about 70% reported problems paying for repairs and maintenance and about half said they are having trouble paying property taxes and other payments. Out of the landlords surveyed, fewer than half said they would move forward with filing evictions after August 2023. But landlord companies that own properties with 50 or more units said they were more likely to file for eviction.

“Our surveys show that 71% of large landlords intend to evict, compared to just 39% of small landlords (1-4 units) and 40% of medium size landlords (5-50 units),” the study authors wrote.

[ad_2]

Nathan Solis

Source link

February 1, 2024
How much rain is coming to L.A. County over the next week? A lot
[ad_1]
If your rain gutters are overflowing now, just wait.

Forecasters say a second storm fueled by an atmospheric river will hit California next week, roughly doubling the amount of rain falling Thursday on Los Angeles and surrounding areas.

All told, the city of L.A. is expected to receive almost 5.9 inches from the storm that started Wednesday and the more enduring one that’s expected to peak on Sunday and Monday, the National Weather Service said this week. The totals within L.A. County range from 2.7 inches in Lancaster to 10.2 inches in Pine Mountain.

(Paul Duginski / Los Angeles Times)

For those of you keeping track at home, the amount of rain expected for L.A. is about three times as much as the city received in January. And it’s more than the city saw in all of 2020-21, according to the Los Angeles Almanac.

Here are the weather service’s projections for rainfall for selected cities in the region:
- Fillmore: first storm 3 inches, second storm 5.3 inches, 8.3 inches total
- Lancaster: first storm 0.8 inches, second storm 1.9 inches, 2.7 inches total
- Long Beach: first storm 1.9 inches, second storm 3.5 inches, 5.4 inches total
- Los Angeles: first storm 2 inches, second storm 3.9 inches, 5.9 inches total
- Northridge: first storm 1.9 inches, second storm 4.2 inches, 6.1 inches total
- Ojai: first storm 3.3 inches, second storm 6.5 inches, 9.7 inches total
- Oxnard: first storm 2 inches, second storm 4.8 inches, 6.7 inches total
- Pasadena: first storm 3 inches, second storm 4.5 inches, 7.5 inches total
- Paso Robles: first storm 0.9 inches, second storm 2.2 inches, 3.1 inches total
- San Luis Obispo: first storm 1.8 inches, second storm 3.4 inches, 5.2 inches total
- Santa Barbara: first storm 2.5 inches, second storm 5.7 inches, 8.2 inches total
The weather service offered more general projections for snowfall, saying the first storm could bring 8 to 16 inches of snow to elevations above 7,000 feet. As for the second storm, the service said, “significant and hazardous” snowfall will be possible above 6,000 feet through Monday night, with lesser amounts possible at lower elevations in the mountains by Tuesday or Wednesday.

Forecasters expect the first storm to abate Thursday afternoon, although San Luis Obispo and the mountains could see more precipitation Friday.

The volume dumped by the second storm is expected to be significantly greater because the storm system isn’t in as big a hurry to leave Southern California. The system is expected to stall “from around Point Conception south,” the weather service said, but that spot “could easily shift 50 to 100 miles either direction so there still is some uncertainty.” Nevertheless, it said, “this system will likely produce 24 to 36 hours (or more) of continuous rain.”
[ad_2]

Jon Healey

Source link
February 1, 2024
Malibu gets a 3-officer CHP task force to patrol deadly stretch of PCH

[ad_1]

After the horrific Oct. 17 crash on Pacific Coast Highway that killed four Pepperdine students, the Malibu community pleaded with its City Council to do more to stop speeding drivers whose recklessness often ends in injuries and fatalities.

The city’s latest effort to improve safety on the scenic but perilous 21-mile stretch of PCH is to add a dedicated task force to patrol the roadway over the next year and a half.

In January, the City Council approved a contract with the California Highway Patrol to establish the three-officer unit to patrol Pacific Coast Highway within city limits. The contract will expire in June 2025.

Deadly crashes have plagued Malibu for decades. A Times analysis after the October crash found there were 170 deaths and serious injuries to drivers, passengers, cyclists and pedestrians between 2011 and 2023.

PCH is a state highway, so it falls under Caltrans jurisdiction, which limits the changes the city can make to the roadway. But in the last three months, Caltrans has begun construction on a new traffic signal synchronization project that allows the agency to remotely control traffic signals on the highway, synchronize their timing and adjust them to lower traffic speeds and reduce congestion.

In November, the Malibu City Council declared a local emergency, which allowed the city manager to quickly approve a short-term contract with the CHP to immediately bolster patrols. Those patrols are ending this month, just as the longer-term task force kicks in.

There are still projects in the pipeline. A $4.2-million Caltrans contract approved by the state in December will allow the agency to establish speed feedback signs and speed limit markings on pavement, replace safety corridor signs and enhance striping on curves.

The California Highway Patrol stopped patrolling PCH in Malibu in 1991 when the city incorporated, and Malibu contracted for law enforcement with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Now, the additional patrols are welcomed by city officials and law enforcement at a time when many in the community feel at their wits’ end.

“We’re always happy to have more enforcement, especially when we have people dying on our streets,” said Jennifer Seetoo, captain of the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department’s Malibu/Lost Hills station.

Seetoo told The Times on Tuesday that she believes the “three E’s, and that is enforcement, education and engineering,” are needed to make the highway safe.

The new CHP task force is an essential aspect of enforcement, Seetoo said, but she wants speed cameras, too.

In October, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law a speed camera pilot program, but Malibu wasn’t among the cities where cameras would be installed. State Sen. Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica) and Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin (D-Thousand Oaks), however, are working on legislation to get the cameras in Malibu, Seetoo said.

Meanwhile, traffic safety on PCH continues to be top of mind for residents and top of the agenda for council members.

At the most recent City Council meeting, residents who spoke said spreading awareness is vital in protecting the neighborhood.

“If this is a war on recklessness,” said one commenter, “we need to be targeting hearts and minds.”

Some suggested posting signs: “This place is worth going slow,” “Slow down, you’re already here,” “Locals can tell you’re a tourist by your speeding.”

Only Caltrans-approved signs can be attached to power poles, however. Councilmember Paul Grisanti suggested that businesses and homeowners along the highway allow large signs to be posted on their buildings to snag people’s attention.

Another commenter proposed that four volunteer motorists put signs on the backs of their cars emphasizing the speed limit and then drive side by side on each side of the highway.

The community’s passion on the topic is evident.

And, Seetoo told The Times, residents are cautiously optimistic.

After the death of 13-year-old Emily Shane — who was struck by a speeding driver as she walked along PCH in 2010 — “the community rallied and wanted change,” Seetoo said. “And nothing happened, and I feel like this is the first time that things are actually happening.”

Times staff writer Terry Castleman contributed to this report.

[ad_2]

Karen Garcia

Source link

February 1, 2024
Opinion: Why is L.A. still letting single-family homeowners block solutions to the housing crisis?

[ad_1]

Last month YIMBY Law, a nonprofit, pro-housing advocacy group, sued the City of Los Angeles on behalf of a private developer seeking to construct a 360-unit apartment building in Canoga Park. These apartments would be only for renters who meet the federal definition of low to moderate incomes in L.A. The project was submitted under Mayor Karen Bass’ Executive Directive 1, meant to dramatically speed up the approval and permitting process for 100% affordable housing projects. But recently the city revoked the eligibility of the Canoga Park building for this program following complaints from single-family homeowners.

This about-face is part of a trend. Last year, the mayor’s office amended ED1 to shield single-family zones from streamlined development — after eight such applications, including the Canoga Park proposal, were already submitted. Those proposals were then denied eligibility for ED1. Some of the projects have filed appeals; one denial has been overturned, but the City Council rejected an appeal for the Canoga project.

Without ED1, these projects face a discretionary approval process that may involve lengthy environmental review and other delays likely to prevent them from happening. This turn of events may cost the city more than 1,100 affordable apartments.

Bass announced ED1 as moving “City Hall away from its traditional approach that is focused on process and replacing it with a new approach focused on solutions, results and speed.” The mayor’s stated intention received a remarkable boost via the state law AB 2334, passed in 2022, allowing developer incentives for 100% affordable projects including substantial increases in height limits and allowable density (the number of housing units on a given-sized parcel of land) in “very low vehicle travel areas,” where limited residential development has kept down traffic. The idea is that these areas can more easily accommodate any extra traffic stemming from increased housing density.

The potential cost savings from ED1 and AB 2334 encouraged private developers to produce long-term, income-restricted units — crucially, without relying on public financing. If the more than 1,100 apartments now held up from ED1 streamlining were built through the standard publicly subsidized pathway, at a typical cost of around $600,000 per unit, they could require up to $660,000,000 in public funding. Privately funded alternatives are a boon to local, regional and state governments that have sought for years to spur the production of so-called “missing middle” housing that is affordable to working-class and middle-income households.

Yet now this progress is in question, just as the power of these complementary city and state reforms has begun to emerge. The lawsuit concerning the Canoga Park building may result in one or more of the halted projects being built eventually, and the state has suggested that the city erred in revoking their ED1 eligibility. But even if these projects get approved, since ED1 now excludes the single-family neighborhoods that make up approximately three-quarters of residential land in L.A., they would mark an end rather than a beginning to similar development.

Some residents of these neighborhoods say that’s only fair. According to Councilmember Bob Blumenfield, for homeowners affected by new apartments, “their property value is going to get cut in half, they’re going to have a big shadow over their place.”

As it happens, I can speak personally to these concerns. I am the owner and resident of a unit in a small rowhouse condo development on the Westside located directly across the street from an ongoing project converting a single-family home into a multi-unit apartment building.

My neighbors and my family are losing a good deal of sunlight throughout the day from the new building. Our street has been a cacophonous, messy construction site for so long it’s hard to remember what it was like before.

But I know that this is what solving the housing crisis looks like: A single parcel that previously housed one family is being transformed into apartments for perhaps 15 to 25 people, with units reserved for low-income households. Like those in the contested ED1 projects, these affordable units won’t require public funding.

There is simply no way to solve our housing crisis without throwing shade in some single-family residential areas. We might have to increase traffic in some neighborhoods, too, though providing more housing in jobs-rich West L.A. could ultimately reduce traffic by allowing people to live closer to where they work. As for property values, multiple studies have shown that low-income housing does not substantially reduce them, including in high-cost neighborhoods, and often increases them.

Some constituencies will always oppose development. Local policymakers who are serious about solving our dual crises of housing affordability and homelessness have to take a hard look at how much political capital they are willing to spend to create effective policies in the face of such objections.

If we can’t build fully affordable projects that don’t drain government coffers even on the edges of land zoned for single-family residences, then Angelenos should prepare for a permanent housing crisis.

But if this sounds like the wrong direction for the city, Bass and the City Council should fully commit to protecting and expanding innovative policy such as the original ED1, without categorical exclusions for single-family neighborhoods, and AB 2334. Mechanisms that convince private developers to produce long-term affordable housing offer what is as close to a free lunch on this crisis as L.A. is ever likely to get.

Jason Ward is an economist at Rand Corp. and the co-director of the Rand Center on Housing and Homelessness.

[ad_2]

Jason Ward

Source link

February 1, 2024
Sip, sip, hooray! New bill would allow drinking on public streets in designated areas

[ad_1]

Imagine a California where you can buy a beer at your favorite bar or restaurant, take it outside and drink it on the street with a friend. That could soon be a reality, if state and local officials clear the way.

A bill proposed by California Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) would allow the consumption of alcohol on public streets in zones designated for tippling.

The proposed legislation, Senate Bill 969, would give municipalities and counties the power, starting in 2025, to designate local “entertainment zones” where people could consume “alcoholic beverages on public streets, sidewalks, or public rights of way,” according to the bill.

Wiener says the legislation could help revitalize California’s downtown districts, where businesses have struggled since the pandemic eviscerated foot traffic.

“People want to be outdoors; they want to gather with their community,” said Wiener. “We have these very strict alcohol laws in California that sometimes need to be made more flexible.

“This is really about giving cities the ability to decide what works for their public spaces,” he added. “And for some cities, whether it’s in the downtown area or a town square or a particular block, they should have the ability to create an entertainment zone to allow bars and restaurants to sell both food and alcohol onto the street. Let’s allow people to enjoy themselves with their friends and neighbors.”

Wiener said the legislation would also be a boon beyond downtown neighborhoods, helping cities and local businesses that have struggled since COVID-19 caused companies to close offices and send employees to work from home.

Current laws allow street festivals to get one-day permits for vendors to sell alcohol for consumption on public streets. Wiener believes that should be extended to local businesses.

A University of Toronto study showed that many downtown areas in California are getting 60% to 90% of the traffic they saw in 2019. For downtown Los Angeles, the figure is 83%; San Francisco has 67%; and Sacramento is at 66%.

San Francisco and San Jose have given the bill their support.

“When safely implemented, SB 969 would make it easier for local businesses to host block parties, wine walks and events that bring us all together to help drive the vibrant future of our downtown,” said San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan in a statement.

The entertainment zones designated by municipalities would have specific days and hours of operation, like any business; people wouldn’t be free to imbibe in the street whenever they please. And California Penal Code Section 647(f) would continue to make it a crime to be intoxicated in public. Bars and restaurants would still be subject to state law that does not allow for the sale of alcohol between 2:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m.

Wiener proposed similar legislation in 2021 and last year; both passed the Senate unanimously. But they ran into trouble in the Assembly’s Appropriations Committee, which blocked the entertainment zone provisions in 2022, then watered down and limited them to San Francisco County in 2023.

The 2024 bill has not yet been referred to a committee.

[ad_2]

Noah Goldberg

Source link

January 31, 2024
Austin Pets Alive! | An Update Regarding City Ordinance Changes

[ad_1]

Austin, we can do better.

[ad_2]

Source link

January 30, 2024
L.A. County backs a legal path for street vendors in unincorporated areas

[ad_1]

For five years, vendors hawking grilled meats, fresh fruit and used clothes on the streets of unincorporated L.A. County have been stuck in a strange legal gray area: no longer banned, but not yet regulated.

On Tuesday, the L.A. County Board of Supervisors took a major step toward bringing these sellers out of their regulatory limbo, pushing forward a long-awaited ordinance that would set rules for street vending in unincorporated parts of the county.

In 2018, California decriminalized street vending statewide, opening the door for local jurisdictions to create their own laws around who could sell what and where. Since then, at least 16 cities in L.A. County have created their own rules.

“Now the county must do its part,” said Supervisor Hilda Solis, adding she believed the rule change would bring marginalized entrepreneurs, overwhelmingly from Latino and immigrant communities, into the county’s bustling economy.

Under the ordinance, street vendors setting up in unincorporated parts of the county would have to register with the county’s Department of Economic Opportunity, which would enforce the new rules: no blocking the sidewalk, no selling on private property, no excessive littering, to name a few. Vendors could face fines if they don’t comply.

The Board of Supervisors voted 4 to 0 in support of the ordinance, though they will need to take a final vote before it can pass. The ordinance would go into effect six months later.

The supervisors also voted 4 to 0 to move forward on an ordinance from the county’s Department of Public Health that would change how food carts are regulated.

Supervisor Kathryn Barger abstained from both votes.

Barger said she’d heard from business owners who believed the rule change would create an uneven playing field between bricks-and-mortar businesses and street vendors, who she believed would get off relatively easy for violating the rules.

Kelly LoBianco, head of the Department of Economic Opportunity, said the agency would emphasize a “care first” approach to enforcement, meaning the emphasis would be on educating vendors about the new regulations rather than fining them for flouting them.

“I feel that we have not gone far enough,” Barger said. “The penalties don’t meet what we’re requiring for restaurants that can get shut down and lose a day’s business.”

Business owners said they were also concerned about unnavigable streets and trash — problems, they believed, that would not improve unless the county cracked down.

“Without having a rigorous, effective enforcement, nothing’s going to happen,” said Tony DeMarco, a pawnshop owner and president of the Whittier Boulevard Merchants Assn., which opposed the ordinance.

While bricks-and-mortar business owners lamented an uneven playing field, street vendors and their advocates hailed the rules as some of the best they’ve seen since the state decriminalized street vending.

“Our hope is that L.A. County can actually be the model,” said Doug Smith of Inclusive Action, part of a coalition of groups that have advocated for legalization of street vending. “It does not include some of the things we’ve seen that are really intended to keep them out of the system — things like criminal background checks, really high fees or really significant restrictions on locations.”

Smith said, however, that food vendors, in particular, could still face a challenging path to registering with the county as they would need to get a permit from the Department of Public Health, which enforces the state’s retail food code. Food vendors ubiquitous across the county, such as taco stands, have struggled in the past with the agency’s cumbersome rules, and only a small fraction are believed to have the proper permits.

Barbara Ferrer, director of the Public Health Department, emphasized Tuesday that the rule changes under consideration would not apply to “pop-up food stands” — typically larger food operations with big tables and canopies that she said can’t be permitted under state law.

Advocates say some jurisdictions have taken a punitive approach when formalizing rules on street vending. In Fontana, for example, unlicensed sellers could be arrested on misdemeanor charges. The city of Los Angeles, which passed its ordinance in 2018, has been sued over its “no-vending zone” — tourist-friendly areas such as Dodger Stadium and Hollywood Bowl where city officials contend vendors will add to congestion.

Ritu Mahajan Estes of Public Counsel, which represents the vendors suing Los Angeles, said the law firm supports the county’s ordinance, which doesn’t have any significant no-vending zones.

Newsletter

Get the lowdown on L.A. politics

Sign up for our L.A. City Hall newsletter to get weekly insights, scoops and analysis.

Enter email address

You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.

She said there were some small tweaks she’d like to see: namely nixing the requirements on distancing. Under the draft ordinance, sidewalk vendors cannot be within 500 feet of a day-care nor farmers market.

“It’s not perfect, but it has a lot of good things,” she said.

Other vendors said they worried about how much it could end up costing them to get licensed. The department says it would need to set the registration fee at $604 to offset the regulatory program costs. Officials say they don’t plan to charge the first year and have found funding that will allow them to charge $100 annually through mid-2028.

Many of the vendors warn that a fee of $600 — if it came to fruition years later— would be a death knell to their business.

“Rent is high. Food is high. The cost of living is high,” Alfredo Gomez, a street vendor in East Rancho Dominguez, told the board through an interpreter. “Please, look at the cost, the fees.”

[ad_2]

Rebecca Ellis

Source link

January 30, 2024
The Away End at Glastonbury

[ad_1]

Flo Lloyd-Hughes is joined by Jessy Parker Humphreys and Becky Taylor-Gill to discuss a big weekend in the WSL. They start by discussing the Traitors finale (spoiler alert) before moving on to Liverpool-Arsenal, Manchester City’s blistering run of form and a relentless Bunny Shaw. Plus, more Marc Skinner quotes and a NewCo CEO interview that ended in Glastonbury discourse.

Host: Flo Lloyd-Hughes
Guests: Jessy Parker Humphreys and Becky Taylor-Gill
Producer: Jonathan Fisher

Subscribe: Spotify

[ad_2]

Flo Lloyd-Hughes

Source link

January 29, 2024
4 dead in shooting at Granada Hills home

[ad_1]

Four people were found dead from gunshot wounds Saturday night at a Granada Hills home in what is believed to be a murder-suicide, Los Angeles Police Department spokesperson Rosario Cervantes said.

Cervantes said the call came in at 6:50 p.m. and responding officers found three victims as well as the body of the person believed to be the shooter.

Cervantes was unable to provide information on the ages or genders of the victims or the circumstances of the incident. The home on Lerdo Avenue is in a hilly area above the 118 Freeway.

This is a developing story.

[ad_2]

Connor Sheets

Source link

January 27, 2024
St Mirren 0-1 Rangers | Scottish Premiership highlights

[ad_1]

Highlights of the Scottish Premiership match between St Mirren and Rangers.

[ad_2]

Source link

January 27, 2024