Central Los Angeles : Talks Among Street Vendors Bear Fruit

It took a while, but feuding street vendors in Pico-Union and Boyle Heights are finally getting their fruit baskets in order.

An agreement late last month between two factions of unlicensed vendors settled much of a nearly yearlong dispute over money, office supplies and documents belonging to the Asociacion de Vendedores Ambulantes, or AVA.

Now there will be two groups. AVA will live on with members of the Boyle Heights faction. AVALA, or the Asociacion de Vendedores Ambulantes de Los Angeles, will be the new name for the Pico-Union group.

The organizations will split office furniture and other equipment and files will be shared, said Kwaku Duren, a lawyer who represents the Boyle Heights group.

Donors will decide what happens to the old AVA’s $25,000 in assets.

One goal for the Boyle Heights group is to use existing petitions to help bring legalized street vending to a four-square-mile area bounded by Marengo Street, Olympic Boulevard, Indiana Street and the Santa Ana Freeway.

Until that happens, though, the LAPD is not about to stop cracking down on unlicensed vendors.

“The philosophy is we don’t respond unless there is a complaint,” said Police Sgt. Alex Salazar. “Business people in the area complain on a daily basis because, obviously, they’re losing business to the street vendors.”