SANTA CLARITA / ANTELOPE VALLEY : Santa Clarita Will Consider Restricting Peddlers : Business: Some merchants are aggravated by roadside vendors. Council will hold two public meetings.

In the aftermath of the Northridge earthquake, opportunists seeking a fast buck descended on Santa Clarita, selling “I survived” T-shirts and other quake souvenirs from vans and car trunks.

That rekindled the longstanding complaints by Santa Clarita merchants that the peddlers undercut prices because they don’t have to pay rent or property taxes and often ignore licensing fees.

“I think the time has come to stop being wishy-washy,” said Councilwoman Jan Heidt at a recent meeting. “Because we want to see one hot dog stand, one fruit stand, we’ve allowed all these other things to proliferate.”

The earthquake souvenirs have gone now but the argument hasn’t, so the city has scheduled meetings at 7 p.m. today at City Hall and 7 p.m. Thursday at Sierra Vista Junior High School to gather public comment.

Santa Clarita officials are considering amending the city business license ordinance, which now treats peddlers the same as other merchants, to limit where peddlers can do business and the length of time they may stay in one location. The new regulations might even ban peddling.

There is no official count of how many peddlers sell items from empty lots and roadsides on an average day, but an informal survey turned up more than a dozen. Fruits and vegetables, sunglasses, ceramic pots and throw rugs can all be bought from the side of the road.

Although the Santa Clarita Valley Chamber of Commerce is waiting to review proposed changes before taking a stand, vice president Viki Rudolph acknowledged the chamber is concerned about peddlers.

“When you see people that string up a line between two cars and put up some rugs, that’s not the image we’re trying to project,” Rudolph said.

At least one roadside vendor believes Santa Clarita should determine which peddlers are operating illegally before condemning them all.

“If they enforce the regulations they have, they wouldn’t have a peddler problem,” said Terry Ramsey, owner of the Fresh Berries fruit stand on Soledad Canyon Road.

Ramsey said she pays rent for her location, and can quickly produce receipts for annual fees she pays to operate legally--$200 for a plot plan to Los Angeles County, $150 to the Department of Agriculture, $128 to the Health Department and $45 for a business license.

Despite the possibility of added restrictions, Ramsey plans to continue with her roadside stand because it allows her to sell what she wants, when she wants .

“It’s freedom. You can offer the best product for people at the best prices,” she said. “We’ve had stores. It’s like being in prison.”