CommentsVOICES-Shades of the famous quote from the movie “Cool Hand Luke,” the City of Los Angeles is shutting down Wilshire Boulevard from Fairfax to La Brea on the weekend of March 14 and 15 to shoot a television show and they didn’t tell anyone in the Miracle Mile that it was happening.
We found out quite by accident last week and are scrambling to notify people in time, but it is a monumental task. The small business owners we have talked to are in shock. They can’t easily afford to lose and entire weekend’s receipts; they keep asking us how can that happen?
The truth we tell them is we don’t exactly know. There are rules and processes in place to protect the public, but the City rarely follows them and covers up everything they can after the fact. Sometimes the City finds a wrinkle in the code and drives a bulldozer through it.
This is not a regular film shoot; it is the closing down of a major artery and I believe it needs a special event permit which is a whole different process that requires complete transparency. At the moment, we are not getting any. None. Zilch. Zero.
Many of us have worked with the film industry on film shoots in our neighborhoods over the years and this is not what we are used to. This is a massive disruption of a Regional Center that will impact people for miles. Besides the businesses that will suffer, people will not be able to get to drug stores to fill prescriptions, shop for food, go to a bank or any of the myriad things people do on a weekend.
Then there is the question of how much this closure will slow emergency vehicles or fire trucks if they are needed in our neighborhood. Not to mention that closing Wilshire will divert traffic onto 6th and 8th Streets and that will impact the health and welfare of our neighbors.
That does not seem to bother the City. I have been told off the record by lots of folks that Mayor Garcetti wants it to happen – so it will happen. Everyone is bending to his will. He appoints all the department heads so is there any wonder he gets what he wants?
Who does it benefit? It is an NBC Universal production, so take a guess. One more giant corporation asking for and getting favors from the government. We need to find a way to stop this cronyism. We deserve politicians who are responsible to the people and really work toward creating a livable city. We need to elect people who will follow the law and their own rules.
We will continue to work to inform the residents and businesses about this disruption and to find out how this occurred. We do not believe the City is acting in good faith, but we will find out. NBC Universal is doing business as usual, but they need to know that they are hurting businesses up and down Wilshire Blvd.
We have no issue with the production company or anyone working on the film. Many of us have spent our lives in the entertainment industry. But shutting down a major thoroughfare for two days without any consultation with the businesses, museums, or residents in the Miracle Mile is not the way to do business.
(James O’Sullivan is a long-time community activist and the President of the Miracle Mile Residential Association.) Edited for CityWatch by Linda Abrams.
