3rd Avenue, Revisited, One Year Ago

3rd Avenue, 1 March 2012

The pictures show what 3rd Avenue was like a year ago. The last picture shows a City Sanitation truck load that was dumped at the Thatcher Maintenance Yard. There were three truck loads that Wednesday, 7 March. Two went directly to the dump. Third Avenue, which was considered part of the Jones Settlement that allowed people to sleep on public sidewalks from 9 pm to 6 am, became involved with the Lavan Settlement, which until that time was applicable only to Skid Row. Lavan Settlement in general says one cannot remove belongings without adequate and prior notice and must store such for 90 days.

3^rd Avenue Revisited, One Year Later

Third Avenue, better known as 3^rd Avenue, is a short avenue between Rose and Sunset Avenues, just a couple blocks each of Main Street. In general, it services the rear of large buildings. On the east side is a public storage facility, a couple of parking lots and a small manufacturing building. On the west side is the rear of a large manufacturing building, presently used for offices, a parking lot and a parking lot for Gold’s Gym.

About high noon it is a seemingly uneventful thoroughfare.

At night it comes alive with bodies–homeless people looking for a safe place to sleep. Somehow, 3^rd has been designated the place. As part of the Jones Settlement, people are allowed to sleep from 9 pm to 6 am as long as they don’t block a door way or driveway. The other part of the settlement is obtaining so many housing units, which Jason Teague talks about.

Early in the morning after 6 am bodies start moving, rolling up sleeping bags, gathering their belongings and heading east or mostly toward the beach. One can see the pattern of a line of people carrying their belongings and heading west along Rose.

Those who don’t leave are awakened by the LAPD and some are given citations.

Then the street quiets down and prepares for parking for the local workers.

What is left by 7:30 am is a lot of abandoned debris. In some areas it looks like the garbage can got turned over. Others it looks like someone abandoned his bedding in a hurry. Yet another area might look like one is starting to collect boxes.

Jason Teague

Jason Teague who lives near the Rose-3rd intersection was the one who reported the confrontation that escalated the situation a year ago.

“As you know, Rose Avenue residents are currently paying to have a private cleaning company clear the streets of garbage, as our City is unwilling to do it,” Teague wrote.

“However, the police are allowing the transients to sleep past 6 am, which is in violation of the Jones Settlement. These sleeping transients are impeding our cleaning crews from doing their jobs.

“The Jones Settlement mandates that the City produce 1250 new Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) Units within City limits, and states that until such units are constructed, it is legal for people to sleep on public sidewalks between 9 pm and 6 am. Currently, we believe that the City of LA has met its obligation to create these 1250 PSH Units. However, Mercedes Marquez, head of the Los Angeles Housing Department, who is in charge of the count, is intentionally blocking efforts to count the units, as she knows a proper count will end the Jones Settlement.

“It would be useful if you would encourage your readers to write their Council Representatives and urge them to force a current unit count. Until the Jones Settlement is ended, we will not move forward on finding real solution to the problem. Just telling transients that they can sleep on public sidewalks is NOT a solution to homelessness.”

Dr. Carmine Gangemi

Dr. Carmine Gangemi, who has his office at 3^rd and Sunset, was asked to comment because he is there during the day. Dr. Gangemi said: “Before 6:30 am the place looks like an outdoor hotel. Still a significant number of homeless sleeping on the sidewalk. However, after 6:30 they do clear out. The additional cleanups during the week do make a difference. Less trash.

“My suggestion: More lighting on the corners of 3rd and Sunset.”

What you see below and read about is rather organized compared with the chaos that resulted in March of last year. If one remembers, the City sent in cleanup crews 9 March.

Attorney Carol Sobel immediately filed a legal claim against the City asking for $4000 per person for damages for those affected that day. What happened to that suit is unknown. The City started having scheduled cleanups approximately every two weeks thereafter. Notices were given and the cleanups began. When they stopped, no one knows. The biohazard crew from Bureau of Sanitation made several trips to 3^rd. This is the place that made David Busch’s bucket toilet infamous. Busch sued the City and Busch won. But we have not had a bucket toilet since.

Now there are approximately 50 to 75 overnighters who use 3^rd.

Venice Stakeholders Association (VSA) has initiated street cleanup services five days a week during the week. It is paid for by donations from local residents to VSA.

Monday, 25 March, 6:20 am

Friday, 15 March, 7:30 am

Friday, 22 March, 7:30 am

And then there was Leonard. Leonard of Florida was busy sweeping up here and there. Leonard was a charming young man who was polite and couldn’t help but smile and talk at the same time. He volunteered that his kids were in college in Tallahassee, Florida. His wife and he couldn’t get along, thus he was on 3^rd. He has a long way to go with that little broom but he had a good start. Those in the background started to more quickly when they saw the camera. Leonard was there the next day too only this time he had a broom with a handle.

Police in Action

Saturday morning, 16 March, 7:30 am east side near Rose. Yes, police are there when they linger. Blue tarp gets a ticket.

Friday morning, March 22, 7:30 am police wake couple. Young lady bounces out of make-shift tent and starts stretching as officer explains the rules.

Venice Stakeholders Association Initiates Cleanups

The Venice Stakeholders Association, in conjunction with the property owners on 3rd Avenue between Rose and Sunset, has instituted regular clean-ups of that street, sidewalks and parkways. The program is funded by Venice residents who have donated funds to the VSA for this service.

“The residents are fed-up with the squalor, trash, food waste, late night noise and the property thefts in the area that appear to emanate from this location. The residents of one apartment complex around the corner from 3rd Avenue had 8 bikes stolen in three months,” Ryavec said.
City Sanitation Department cleanup takes several weeks to arrange while the VSA service operates five days a week on weekdays, Ryavec said. The clean-up crew collects enough to fill at least a small station wagon every time they sweep the street, according to Ryavec.

Truck Load of Debris