CommentsVOICES--I understand the need to continue construction during the pandemic.
The president of the California Building Industry Association said, “You can’t shelter in place with no shelter.” But, to many of us neighborhood advocates and planning/land-use activists, the exemption is too all-encompassing.
Big union projects with sanitary stations and worker education are far less of a threat to public health than the mostly non-unionized and less supervised workforce that builds smaller projects, such as single-family homes. Anecdotal observations of these non-union crews leave much to be desired when it comes to distancing, food sharing, gloves and onsite sanitization facilities, which almost always consist of a single port-a-potty with no handwashing station.
It’s inaccurate to contend, as Mayor Garcetti has, that all construction in Los Angeles is essential to the public good. Hospitals, homeless shelters, public projects and affordable multi-family dwellings are a necessity. But luxury-rate apartments, McMansions, home remodels by house flippers, and other forms of speculative new construction are not a necessity. It’s disingenuous when a civic leader makes blanket statements such as all construction is essential, or the construction industry must be at full employment for the state to function.
Both of you are leaders who have responded to problems such as mansionization and the homeless issue with humanity and insight. That’s why I’m appealing to you. I reside in CD5 but my entire neighborhood, except for my block, is in CD4. I serve as Vice-President of the La Brea Hancock Homeowners Association and my experiences with both of you have been educational and rewarding. I’m asking you to take another look at the construction exemption, and to see that one size does not fit all. Los Angeles must follow the lead of Washington State, Vermont, Michigan, New York City and State, and Pennsylvania, and stop non-essential construction during this pandemic. Some judgement calls need to be made to protect public health. I believe that construction of non-union projects, luxury rate apartments, remodels and single-family home construction should be prohibited unless the homeowner plans on living at the property and can demonstrate economic hardship if work is not ongoing.
Finally, because of recent investigations into developer/City Hall corruption, the public trust is frayed when voters hear that all construction is essential and even public health must take a backseat to developers’ economic needs. I’m asking for a commonsense approach where non-essential construction observes the same public health protocols required of other industries such as mine, the film industry, where production has been stopped. Please consider this perspective and do what you can to protect public health in this pandemic by prohibiting non-essential construction until Covid-19 is a thing of the past. Thank you and be well.
(Robert Eisele is a screenwriter who resides in Los Angeles’ La Brea Hancock neighborhood.)
-cw
