By Emilie St. John
Contributing Writer
INGLEWOOD — The City Council will hold a public hearing on street vending regulations Aug. 22.
According to a staff report from the Aug. 8 City Council agenda, the Economic and Community Development Department is proposing a 1,000-foot buffer around venues within the Inglewood Sports and Entertainment District, churches, schools, Centinela Hospital, Inglewood Park Cemetery and the water treatment plant adjacent to Rogers Park.
Mayor James T. Butts Jr. stopped the previously scheduled public hearing on the matter during the June 20 City Council meeting.
Council members were at odds about whether to make the buffer zone 500 feet or 1,000 feet.
During the June 20 meeting, there was a motion on the floor to extend the buffer zone to 1,000 feet around the specified venues.
“I withdraw that right now because we need to do a lot more on this,” Butts said at the time. “I want to reschedule the public hearing and let’s go back and give it more thought.”
City Attorney Ken Campos had proposed a 500-foot buffer zone due to current lawsuits involving the city of Los Angeles.
“There’s approximately two to three other cities that are currently being sued or are in court for their boundary limits,” Campos said. “The one in the city of Los Angeles is at 500 feet and they are being challenged because of the state law.
“The city of L.A. did no study, similarly to Inglewood having no study, as to the basis as to the restriction of 500 or 1,000 feet,” Campos said. “So, unless the city of L.A. is able to prove as to whether there are any health or safety violation issues, the courts are probably going to find in favor of the cart vendors.”
The mayor didn’t find that sufficient enough to stop the city from establishing its own guidelines.
“They can sue for 500 or 1,000 feet so what difference would that make?” Butts asked.
Code Enforcement Manager Jerry Tucker explained the difference between the two proposed zones.
The proposed 500-foot radius map would only benefit the Kia Forum as it would cover the entire property to the sidewalk. For SoFi Stadium the 500-foot radius would not extend far enough and would allow street vendors to vend in the stadium’s parking lots.
“For SoFi [Stadium] it would not take us to Prairie or Pincay with the 500-foot radius,” Tucker said. “For the Forum, the footprint is sufficient enough to cover Manchester, Prairie, Kareem Court and Pincay.
“With a 1,000-foot radius, SoFi would take in portions of Pincay, Prairie and would still be on property to the south and to the east as well,” Tucker added. “For the Forum, it would have a greater footprint into the residential community going three blocks to the west.”
Butts then asked if the city would allow sidewalk vending in residential areas.
“Certain provisions do allow it for roaming if you have push carts for ice cream, that is one provision allowed under state law,” Butts said.
Councilman Eloy Morales Jr. then said what the mayor proposed would move it too far, impacting the residential area and other small businesses.
Morales wanted to be able to control the vendors from going into the residential area.
“What ends up happening if they give them a radius they are going to be right outside of it,” Morales said. “They basically go in 500 feet and I have seen the vendors that are literally standing there with full-on bars for people walking by.
“I’m more worried about how we accommodate the residents because another thing you are going to encourage is the crowding and the actual timeframe it takes to clear the area,” Morales said.
The proposed 1,000-foot buffer zone now places street vending directly in the middle of surrounding neighborhoods.
The public hearing will take place at 2 p.m. Aug. 22 in council chambers.
Emilie St. John is a freelance journalist covering the areas of Carson, Compton, Inglewood and Willowbrook. Send tips to her at emiliesaintjohn@gmail.com.
