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Problem Properties in the

Empowerment Congress North Area Neighborhood Development Council

Area

Photographic Supplement for City Council District 8

April 2007

Final Report

Approved for distribution by the Governing Board at its May 3, 2007, meeting

Prepared from stakeholder complaints

Empowerment Congress North Area Neighborhood Development Council

Public Safety Committee P.O Box 7536

Los Angeles, CA 90007

Committee chair: Leslie Evans Civilian Cochair, Southwest Division LAPD Community Police Advisory Board

lbevans@earthlink.net 323-574-5586

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1712-16 W. 24th Street

Single family house made into duplex has cemented the whole front yard and uses it for parking. Put on our list in December �006. Reported to Housing by phone, January �, �007. Photo as of January �, �007. Assigned to Inspector Keith Gordon. No change in observation of April �7.

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1921 W. 23rd Street.

Neighbors and police complain that people at this apparent duplex carry on an illegal car repair business. Put on our list in November �006. Photos as of December 5 and April �7. Unusually deep front yard, all dirt, used to park many vehicles. Senior Lead Officer Brian Hun reports that the Department of Transportation has been to this location several times, the owners remove the stored vehicles, but they return in a few days. There were a number of vehicles in the front yard in observations throughout December �006 to April �007. This amounts to parking on the lawn, as the vehicles were not in any kind of driveway. Reported to Housing Dept. by phone January �, �007. Housing Inspector Mendez phoned January �9 to say that they are scheduling an inspection. Police obtained a search warrant and conducted a search in early February but found nothing illegal. LAPD Senior Lead Officer Brian Hun is working with Inspector Keith Gordon of the Housing Department vehicle unit. The Department of Transportation tagged 6 cars for removal in mid-April, but appeared not to have actually removed them in our observation of April �7. On April �7 (see photo) a car was up on blocks while work was being done on it by a man under the vehicle.

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1660-1674-1/2 W. Adams Blvd., strip mall

Report by LAPD and neighbors that drug dealing and prostitution is regularly taking place on this property and on the nearby sidewalk. Put on our list in May �006. We have requested attention from LAPD. The owner in collaboration with LAPD has posted large signs warning that the property is under regular police observation. The owner is also donating a store front in the property to serve as a police stop-in office. The Adams-Normandie block club with support from the Van Buren Place block club is working to prepare and furnish the drop-in office. Paperwork for this was submitted to LAPD by the owner, Mr. Howard Lee, in �005 but approval is still pending. Mr. Lee complains that he may lose some of his tenants because of the crime and drug activity. Photo as of May ��, �006. Deputy City Attorney Jan De Andrade and LAPD Senior Lead Officer Brian Hun went to Parker Center in late December to the Facilities Management department, where they were shown an October ��, �006, letter from Facilities approving the stop-in center. This was eventually routed to South Bureau commanding officer Deputy Chief Charles Beck, who signed it in early April and returned it to Facilities Management. In early January �007 we received a complaint that drug dealing is carried out at the laundromat in this strip mall in the early hours of the morning between midnight and 6:00 am. Have discussed this problem with LAPD. One alleged drug dealer has been arrested but there is still heavy loitering at this location.

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1883 W Adams Blvd at LaSalle, recycling center

This corner has been a major crime and nuisance problem for the neighborhood, with strong complaints from residents, the local block clubs, and several small business owners. The problem is the combination of the recycling center with a network of alleys in the two square blocks across Adams to the south. The owners of the recycling center in �005 demolished the original building and constructed a small market at the south end of the property. Photo as of February �8, �007.

Building and Safety revoked the recycling center conditional use permit January 13, 2006, on the ground that the building for which it was issued had been demolished and because the current recycling business has been moved to the north of the property, too close to homes on La Salle. The owners appealed but lost the two permissible levels of appeal, the last in front of the South Los Angeles Planning Commission on October �7, �006. The commission verdict was issued on November �6 rejecting the owners’ appeal. Building and Safety issued orders to stop using this property as a recycling center with a deadline of February 16. The owners have appealed this latest order to the Building and Safety Board of Commissioners. We have written to the commissioners urging that they uphold the LADBS order. The recycling center was in full operation on April �7.

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Homeless encampments/trash and shopping cart accumulation in alleys between La Salle and Hobart south of Adams Blvd.

Part of the general complex of homeless and drug problems near La Salle and Adams involving the recycling center at �88� W Adams are a complex of alleys with regular encampments of drug addicted and mentally ill homeless people. One alley runs south from Adams to �7th Street between La Salle and Harvard. In the next block to the west an alley runs east-west from Harvard to Hobart behind the commercial buildings that face Adams Blvd. and has a T connection that runs south to 27th Street. Recent law changes make it difficult to gate alleys but there are exceptions for crime and nuisance problems. The Neighborhood Prosecutor, ECNANDC board member Rachel Capata, and the local block club are on track to meet current requirements for an �8-month closure. They have the necessary letters from LAPD and from Councilmember Bernard Parks’ office (CD 8), and are collecting signatures from owners whose properties abut the alley. SLO Brian Hun in March and early April has arranged for clearing several homeless encampments. In observation of April �7 alleys were comparatively clear except for a few shopping carts.

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2656 S. Van Buren Place

Single family house with two rental units over four garages. Put on our list in March �007. The house is for sale and is currently broken up into a warren of student room rentals. We have learned from a prospective buyer who toured the property that two of the four garages are being used as windowless student rentals. The property is required to have four parking places, two for the main house and one each for the garage apartments. At this time none of the four garages are used for parking and four or five vehicles are regularly parked in front of the garages blocking the sidewalk. Also we have been informed that a student has been rented a space in the attic, which may be a safety and code violation as there is only a single stairway and no second exit from that space in the event of fire. We reported the garage occupancy to the Housing Department (866-557-7�68) March ��, case #��5855. We have emailed Assistant Inspector Barry Craddolph, bcraddolph@lahd.lacity.org, 213-252-2861.

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2702 S. Normandie Avenue

This once-elegant house has been vacant since November �00�. The city chained the gates in �006 to stop the occupation of the house by drug addicts and prostitutes. The house was in foreclosure in April �006 when the title was transferred to another person who took out a $950,000 loan but reportedly never made a payment or gave the bank an address other than the deserted house. The house was repossessed by the bank at the end of �006. A real estate database reports that the house was sold on January ��, 2007, for $813,885. It lists the current owner as Bank Of New York, The Certificate holders Cwmbs Inc Chl Mor, 1757 Tapo Canyon Rd, Simi Valley, CA 93063. The house is not yet occupied, but the plywood has been removed from the doors and windows. We will leave it on the list until people are living there.

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2706 S. Normandie Avenue

Put on our list in March �007. Single family house, vacant for about a year and a half. The owners are out of state and want to sell but the house is in a prolonged probate. It has become a target of transients and drug addicts. A family member of the owners who lives in Los Angeles has partially boarded the house and installed steel doors on the front and rear. But the rear steel door is at the entrance to the kitchen, leaving the service porch accessible. We have been informed by a neighbor that transients are sleeping in the rear service porch, posing a risk of fire. There had also been a transient sleeping on the front porch, where there was a lot of debris that had not been cleared for several months. Building and Safety has the case, assigned to inspector is Ben Mathias, (213)252-3959. The front porch was cleared in observation of April �7.

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1422-24 W. 29th Street

Duplex. Received email on March �� from neighbors complaining that a large pile of burned debris from a fire in the back of this property and several burned-out vehicles had never been removed. Put on our list for March �007. In observation of April � saw that the property backs up to a public alley and there is no fence separating the burned debris and the alley, constituting a danger for children in the area. Reported online to Building and Safety March 30, Customer Service Request number 160236. This is properly a Housing issue, so also reported to Housing on April �, case # ��9�0�. Spoke to Senior Housing Inspector Lee Smith about this property on April �. In observation of April �7 burned timbers remained on site but three burned vehicles had been removed. Two other apparently inoperable vehicles remain in the back yard.

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1476 W. 29th Street

Listed in city reports as two units. It is rented to tenants. We have had this property on our list twice before, as the tenants store very large amounts of stuff on the porch and in the yard. Building and Safety and the owner have cleared this condition twice. Put back on our list in March �007 on complaint by a neighbor that the stored materials are used for extremely frequent yard sales. We then observed five yard sales within three weeks. We have photographs of four of them, very large yard sales on March �� and 30 and April 4 and 8. Reported to Building and Safety by phone on March 15, but Inspector Edmond Deckert confirms that there are two units on the property and it is a Housing Department issue. We then filed a complaint with the Housing Department Code Enforcement unit on April 3, case #39015. The yard and porch were reasonably clear in observation of April �7. We are leaving it on the list for the time being to see if the problem has been resolved.

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1364 W 30th Street (also listed as 3010 S Catalina)

Burned and boarded house. Neighbors report drug addicts have been using this house, getting access through the back fence. Reported to LAPD Senior Lead Officer Juli Munson on April 27.

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3414 S. Western (recycling center)

This has been a nuisance property for a long time but has not been on our list because there is no specific code or law violation. We are putting on the list now only because it is up for sale and we would like to encourage a developer to buy the property and build something more beneficial to the community there. To the immediate north there is also an empty lot that could possibly be purchased to expand the area. The ���� property is being handled by Simone Leibovici of RE/MAX realtors, 8�8-880-�9�9. People are urged to spread the word that this property is on the market in hopes of interesting an appropriate developer.

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1783 W. 35th Street

Apparent extensive damage to roof and general deterioration. Put on our list in August �005. Photo as of 8-26-05. LADBS Inspector John Stephens issued an order to comply for general need of maintenance with a deadline of December �5, �005. This was extended to April �, �006. The house has never had the title transferred to the current occupant from an owner who died many years ago, which has complicated city efforts to work with the occupant to improve conditions. A city attorney hearing was held on May �, �006. A telephone conversation was conducted with the tenant, who stated that she and an uncle are the living heirs to the property. The tenant wishes to demolish the house and rebuild, but has no money to do so. The tenant reportedly has another house in which she can live. LADBS is supposed to check who is paying taxes and utilities as the one responsible for repairs. Deputy City Attorney is also contacting the Los Angeles County Public Administration to determine why probate has never been carried out on this property after the death of the legal owners. No change in observation of April �7, �007.

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3607 S. Vermont Avenue, Smart and Final

On August �0, �006, a Zoning hearing was held where this Smart and Final applied to upgrade their conditional use permit for wine and beer to allow a full line of alcoholic beverages. The upgrade was denied. Smart and Final appealed to the South Los Angeles Planning Commission, which heard the case, # ZA 2006 4385-CUB-1A, on February 20, 2007. The commission issued its report on March 23, 2007, upholding the denial. Supporting the upgrade request were Smart and Final’s representatives and the representative for City Council District 8. Opposing it were the Community Coalition, our neighborhood council, and St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, which abuts the property to the south. The proposed hard liquor sales were denied in part because the property is “surrounded by sensitive uses,” namely USC across the street, the church to the south, and nearby Weems Elementary School. Our ongoing concern here is that when this market was built after the Los Angeles civil unrest of �99� it agreed not to sell alcohol. In March �000 it applied for and was granted a conditional use permit for wine and beer. One condition was that within 9 to 11 months Smart and Final would file a Plan Approval triggering a public hearing on how well they had met all conditions. They have never done so. The Planning Commission in its current report states: “The applicant’s failure to file a Plan Approval that was required by the previous conditional use approval leads the Zoning Administrator to question the applicant’s reliability and credibility and the ability of the applicant to comply with any other conditions.” We share that view and wish to see the market undertake the required public review of its effectiveness in applying the conditions of �000.

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1724 W. 37th Street

Single family house. Two cars, possibly inoperable, parked on lawn, excessive storage on porch. Put on our list in March 2007. Reported online to LADBS March 15, service #159077. Also, dog chained on porch with hardly room to turn around is cruelty to animals. Assigned to Inspector Edmond Deckert, ���-789-��88. One car remained on lawn in observation of April �7, as well as dog hemmed in on porch.

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1401 W. Exposition

We had reported this last month as ��09; the correct address is ��0� and it is the back lot of the building with that number. Unfenced empty lot. Large abandoned truck camper, possibly in use by transients. This has been a concern of LAPD Senior Lead Officer Juli Munson, who has had several inoperable cars towed from this location. Put on our list in March �008. Also dumped mattresses and other debris. Reported to Building and Safety online March 15, #159080. Assigned to Inspector Edmond Deckert, (���) 789-��88, who has issued orders to remove the camper with a deadline of March �8, �007. Still there on April 27. The large camper with an open back, effectively an RV, is a risk to children who walk to school along Exposition. One constituent reported this problem to Mayor’s representative Michael Thomas at the Vermont Avenue Constituent Service Center on April 19.

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3821 S. Western Avenue, Pine Tree Inn., and 3811 S. Western Avenue, Danmar Motor Inn.

These two motels were on our list from July �00� to March �00� because of police complaints of prostitution and narcotics activity. Both motels at that time had the same owner, who agreed to clean up the problem. Participants in the new “Reclaiming Western Avenue Coalition,” a group of local organizations based near �9th Street and Western Avenue including the THE Clinic, report that the prostitution problems have reappeared at both motels. LAPD Senior Lead Officer Juli Munson reports that there have been recent drug arrests and at least one prostitution arrest at the Pine Tree Inn. LAPD ran a task force of both motels in early February �007. A few arrests were made for parole violatoin and possession of drug paraphernalia. No management violations were found.

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3837 S. Western Ave.

Nicely restored very well-kept three story residential building owned by the Community of Friends. The problem is with several niches at sidewalk level that include built-in planters. The area is frequented by prostitutes and drug dealers and these people sit on the planter boxes or hang out in the niches. This is not the fault of the building owners, but perhaps they can erect wrought iron gates in front of the planters to keep the problem people from using these alcoves. Put on our list in November �006. Photos as of December � and �9, �006. A representative of the Community of Friends informs us that they are taking bids from iron work companies to enclose the recessed niches. Gates not installed as of April �7, �007.