Crackdown on Building Hazards Is Proposed

Describing the current system as a “mishmash,” Los Angeles City Councilman Michael Woo introduced a measure Monday to crack down on public safety hazards created when construction projects block city streets, particularly in hillside neighborhoods.

The proposal would require builders to leave at least 16 feet of clear roadway on substandard streets while construction work is under way. Under its terms, the city could stop work on projects where construction blocks streets.

Woo described the present situation as “life-threatening” when emergency fire or medical vehicles cannot quickly respond to calls in the Santa Monica or Verdugo mountains, for example.