LA residents near famous Hollywood sign fed up with over-saturation of tourists and illegal vendors
LA residents near famous Hollywood sign fed up with over-saturation of tourists and illegal vendors
LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles residents living near the iconic Hollywood sign have filed a public nuisance complaint over what they describe as out-of-control tourist activity that has turned the area adjacent to the landmark into a "public toilet."
Multiple residents of Hollywood Hills neighborhoods filed a complaint Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court against the city of Los Angeles, Mayor Karen Bass and City Councilwoman Nithya Raman, alleging that officials have allowed the area near the sign to become a public nuisance.
State law defines a public nuisance as "anything which is injurious to health, … or is indecent or offensive to the senses, or an obstruction to the free use of property, so as to interfere with the comfortable enjoyment of life or property, or unlawfully obstructs the free passage or use, in the customary manner, of … any public park, square, street, or highway."
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According to the complaint, residents have cited illegal street vending and dumping, along with "public urination and defecation that occur regularly on the Citys property." They also point to increased traffic on surrounding streets and what they describe as an unacceptable risk of devastating fires and gridlock that severely limits their ability to leave their homes.
Visitors, they say, routinely smoke cigarettes and throw their cigarette butts into the grass, despite prohibitions against smoking and the significant fire hazard it poses. Likewise, if a fire were to break out — as has happened in the past — increased traffic could prevent fire trucks from reaching their destinations.
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Residents allege that the city is liable because it controls the land where the nuisance conditions exist. They claim the city has actively promoted the area to tourists for years while failing to take reasonable steps to control the impact of increasing numbers of visitors and vendors, as well as the numerous nuisance conditions and safety risks.
They also cite increasing obstructions on the narrow neighborhood streets and other blights that they say are "indecent and offensive to the senses."
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reached out to Bass and Raman for comment. Raman represents City Council District 4, which includes the Hollywood Hills.
The impact of a glut of tourists visiting the Hollywood Hills has long plagued the area, creating safety and quality-of-life concerns for residents.
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