Plan to Legalize Street Vending Comes Under Fire
Opponents of a proposed ordinance to legalize street vending in Los Angeles charged Monday that the plan would create unfair competition for small merchants across the city and make many neighborhoods unsafe.
The City Council is scheduled to consider the proposal today. People for Livable and Active Neighborhoods in Los Angeles, an umbrella group representing nearly 200 homeowner and community organizations, wants the council to send the proposal back to the city Planning Department for further study. “We represent a number of people who have worked very hard to take back their streets,” said group spokesman Bill Christopher. “We look at this as a step backward from that.”
Street vending is now banned. Violators can receive a maximum penalty of six months in jail and a $1,000 fine. The proposed law would require the estimated 4,000 street vendors to obtain a city permit. Those who sell food would also need permits from the county Department of Health Services.
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