BRENTWOOD : Traffic Barricades Proposed for Simpson’s Neighborhood

Los Angeles City Councilman Marvin Braude has proposed measures to alleviate traffic and parking headaches caused by curiosity seekers from all over the world who want to see O. J. Simpson’s North Rockingham Avenue estate.

“The people who live on and around Rockingham in Brentwood Park are, in a very real sense, also victims of this tragic murder case,” Braude said. “This community is entitled to an end to these intolerable conditions and to a return to a normal pattern of daily life.”

On Tuesday, Braude urged the City Council to authorize police to set up barricades on Rockingham to regulate the flow of pedestrians and vehicles for at least 18 months.

Braude also proposed a measure that would limit parking on Rockingham to residents with city-issued stickers.

“Basically, what we’re proposing is the formation of a preferential parking district for area residents,” said Glenn Barr, a spokesman from Braude’s office. “Anyone without a parking permit would be cited.”

Barr said Braude asked that the processing be expedited so that the measure will pass “within weeks instead of years.”

“Cities are already allowed to authorize police departments to close streets because of crime, traffic and safety, and, in fact, these factors exist at O. J. Simpson’s house,” Barr said.

Residents of the normally quiet affluent district have been complaining about the traffic congestion since the bodies of Simpson’s former wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ronald Lyle Goldman were discovered two months ago.

The traffic proposal, if passed, could be extended for an additional 18 months after the initial period expires. The council is expected to hear the proposals Tuesday.