The Outzone in front of Micky’s and BlockParty will be removed on May 16.
The streets are crowded. Business is back to pre-COVID all-time highs. New businesses have opened over the past two years. Bottega Louie, Stache, Gym Bar, and Heart have added to the crowds along Santa Monica Blvd. There are fewer cops on the beat and the EPT, the Entertainment Police Team, has not been restored to pre-COVID levels despite the crowds and the many new businesses that have opened.
Public safety hazards and the safety of the employees who work in West Hollywood should be our No. 1 goal. What use is a high minimum wage if you fear for your life when you leave work? My No. 1 concern and fear is for my staff who have to handle the drunk patrons, drugged patrons, homeless patrons, flamboyant patrons, and lots of customers. When you apply for a job at BlockParty you are required to have the Sheriff’s and Block By Block numbers in your phone and memorized in your head, and you have to learn how to respond in emergency situations.
Two weeks ago after closing at 2 a.m., the crowds gathered for after-hours as usual. And as usual there were fights. But the crowds moved in closer due to the Outzones. Lines waiting for after-hours crunched to the front of my storefront doors. The staff could not get out of the store to go home. Fights happened in front of the door. There were no sheriff’s deputies around.
It took a few days to learn of the events from my employee Jose Flores. Immediately I reached out to all five City Councilmembers, and IO cc’d Kristen Cook at Public Safety and both Tara and Paulo, who are in charge of the Outzones. Within 10 minutes Mayor Meister responded and looped in City Staff too. A short time afterward, Councilmember D’Amico responded, discussed, and took action. And a short time later Mayor Pro Tem Shyne got involved to make sure the issues were reviewed. There was no response from Councilmembers Erickson or Horvath. Horvath later explained that she did not reply but had looped in the City Manager.
It was time to open the street and let the crowds flow. Micky’s agreed. We pulled our permit approvals and the Outzones will be removed. I’ve recommended the parking spaces be used for Uber/Lyft drop offs after 8pm, and a loading zone restored for deliveries and parking spaces during the day.
There are other Outzones that need to be examined for the hazards they create and present. I’ve been told from a number of disabled residents that the sidewalk in front of Stache forces people into the street and the crowds are so fierce in front of Bottega Louie on the weekends that patrons cannot flow east or west after they finish their meal. The crowds are here but yet we have not restored the Entertainment Police Team to Pre-COVID levels. It’s important that your voice be heard. You can send your thoughts to the City Council at council@weho.org or write a letter or op-ed to us and publish it here. Send to brandon@wehoville.com, and cc: me, love to hear from you larry@wehoville.com.
I support the permanence of the Outzones program as long as . . . 1) they are designed and laid out consistently at all locations, and 2) locations maintaining Outzones will pay a fee or some such for any extra square footage they now occupy beyond pre-pandemic footprints, or approved plans. I like the idea of adding our own European-sidewalk-café vibe to our outdoor life. I believe that bicycle lanes are an excellent idea, should be encouraged, and should be separated from traffic as much as possible (anyone who’s been to Amsterdam knows of what I’m speaking). In my vision… Read more »
I’m shocked by the arrogance of whoever is running Pura Vita. They had their reservation stand out on the sidewalk last night. There was less than 1 foot of space on the sidewalk to walk around it.
One thing the Outzones provide is a buffer to the zooming traffic. Putting parked cars back gets people sitting on those cars and weaving around them to get through the crowds as happened for years. Putting Ubers right there is having moving cars and people getting in and out of them right next to sidewalks stuffed with people. Maybe take out the patio furnishings and railings and have the sidewalk extended outward with the current concrete barriers as border.
Yes, I think everyone agrees the outzones need to go. Now if we can just get the city to enforce removal. Many of the worst have been mentioned including Craigs and Pura Vita. However, I think even worse than those are the ones at Rosaline and Rocco’s both of which take up the entire sidewalks. Get rid of them.
Stache is one of the worst.
Agree about Stache: I understood the need initially but it is ridiculous that the sidewalk remains completely blocked when the business is closed. Lately, it actually looks like Stache has doubled-down to make their blockage even more permanent with planters. Our tax dollars built and maintain these sidewalks and converting them effectively to private property for certain businesses is unfair and now unnecessary.
They didn’t even open for business until after the pandemic. It’s a bar masquerading as a restaurant.
Yup. So true.
Yes, Stache is awful. Why should we be forced to walk in the street?
I’ll take a different view than everybody else on here so far. I like the outzones. Al fresco dining is great, especially in an area like we are in that has such good weather most of the time. Having said that, it doesn’t mean there shouldn’t be some kind of regulations. They shouldn’t get the space for free. Maybe there should be some time limits on them. For example on weekend evenings when the bars are so busy maybe they are open so that pedestrian traffic can move more freely. And, they shouldn’t be allowed to take over the entire… Read more »
I don’t mind too much if the outzones are in the street taking up parking spaces, but give us back our sidewalks!
Thank you Larry.
As one can see nearly everyone is in agreement.
Its time for the land grabs to go.
If these were normal restaurants…….it would be fine. But they aren’t.
yes, Yes, YES!! The OUTZones need to go. They can always be brought back if they are needed but at this time they are not! They are a nuisanse, a hazard…cause people to be packed in making movement along the sidewalk difficult and they are an eyesore. Bravo to Mikey’s for voluntarily removing theirs. Let’s make sure the City Council instructs businesses to remove them! ***And it’s important to note: There are fewer cops on the beat and the EPT, the Entertainment Police Team, has not been restored to pre-COVID levels despite the crowds and the many new businesses that… Read more »
YES! They are a hazard, especially at Pura Vita. Get rid of them ALL!
Stash is another ridiculous business it has its selfishness to the curb hard for wheel chairs or dog owners to navigate. What’s the point over 15 years ago they gave us a revamp with wider sidewalks only now to walk onto wood planks in the street. Clowns taken over entire city hall. Even code compliance when they answer states that,
“they have a permit for that”
Yup. They are one of the worst.
I’m glad the dialogue café is doing well, but come on Holloway-Fountain and Sunset Boulevard? I take every day and there’s always something blocking whether pick up orders, tourist drivers lost etc., it’s going to be scary if anything happens there.
There was an insane accident not to long ago where the Bullwinkle statue was damaged by a car flipping or something across the street. Just too busy of an intersection, too many people in a vulnerable position sitting and eating.
I agree with your major point but the Bullwinkle accident happened after 2:00 in the morning. Dialog was long closed by then.
It’ll get worse, 8800 and 8833 sunset office buildings have only been at 20% capacity
Larry, thank you for making this happen, and for protecting your employees.