Crackdown on Party Houses - FINALLY!
Image from ABC7
Residents may be reminded of a house party at a property controlled by developer Nile Niami at 10701 Bellagio Road on July 4th. Not only were there hundreds of people attending without masks and no social distancing, but also fireworks were being ignited for several hours in our Very High Fire Severity Hazard Zone.
Fireworks from 10701 Bellagio Road on July 4 2020
Councilmembers Paul Koretz and David Ryu take the lead in cracking down on party houses. On August 4th, Councilmember Paul Koretz took swift action and sent a letter to his constituents stating enough is enough.
On August 5th, Councilmember David Ryu introduced a motion to increase penalties and deterrence options against property owners who put community health and safety at risk by skirting building and safety rules or city laws, such as the party house ordinance passed in 2018. Penalties could include water and power shutoff, permit prohibitions, or having a certificate of occupancy held or revoked.
The City’s party house ordinance prohibits any large and unruly gathering “which threatens or interferes with the public health, safety or welfare” of the public. That law, which began as a motion introduced by Councilmember Ryu, includes a series of escalating fines on both the party host and homeowner, as well as possible misdemeanor charges for repeat offenders. However, large house parties have begun to increase in recent weeks, in clear violation of COVID-19 public health orders and the party house ordinance passed into law in 2018.
Ryu’s motion seeks to bring the Department of Building and Safety (DBS), Department of City Planning (DCP), Department of Water & Power (DWP), and the Housing and Community Investment Department (HCID) together to identify code violations that threaten public health and wellbeing, and provide increased deterrence tools against property owners who violate these laws. The motion further requests the City Attorney to draft an ordinance based on these new deterrence tools to hold property owners accountable for illegal parties held at their locations that threaten public health.
Read the motion here.
For more information please see links below:
LA TIMES “A wild party at Mulholland Drive mansion, a deadly shooting and fears of COVID-19 spread”
NBC4 “DWP Authorized to Cut Utilities at Party Homes, Mayor Announces”