Would Li’l Abner Feel at Home in Lawndale?
In spite of warnings that it will turn Lawndale into the South Bay equivalent of Dog Patch, Li’l Abner’s hillbilly home town, the City Council has voted 3 to 2 to loosen city restrictions on front-yard parking, sending the ordinance to the Planning Commission for review.
“This ordinance is an attack on every single person’s property values in this city,” said Randy Brendia, who raised the specter of Dog Patch. Other residents, including Steve Mino, have lobbied for an ordinance that would let them widen their driveways to allow an extra parking space on the front lawn.
The city’s present ban on front-yard parking was adopted in 1984. Planners generally view the practice as an eyesore in residential neighborhoods, said Mark Winogrond, a former Lawndale planning director who now heads the West Hollywood Planning Department.
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