WHWRA: Pop-ups must not became a pain for neighbors

During the recent Oscar weekend, the corner of Melrose Avenue and Huntley Drive became the intersection of “Dior Avenue” and “Dior Terrace” as a temporary, fantasy “pop-up” party venue was created to celebrate the Miss Dior fragrance. The venue included a parfumerie, a cinema, a gelateria, a performance venue, and flower shop. 

Sadly, things were not so rosy for the party venue’s neighbors, as lack of crowd and traffic control led to noise, parking, and safety concerns. Frantic social media influencers, celebrities, and crowds willing to stand in block-long lines not only sampled new scents but also procured permit-only parking spots.  Luckily, WeHo Parking began ticketing those without passes. 

Representatives from WHWRA directed our concerns regarding Miss Dior to WeHo’s Neighborhood and Business Safety Manager, Vyto Adomaitis. Mr. Adomaitis reported that other neighbors expressed concerns directly. Going forward, he said, WeHo will review traffic and parking plans for special events along with noise mitigation and crowd control plans.  

Any storefront in WeHo, we learned from Mr. Adomaitis, can apply for up to twelve events per year. In other news, long lines snaking around the block are not, in fact, a code violation. Due to West Hollywood West sitting at the nexus of celebrity and design, as well the unfortunately large number of empty storefronts in our neighborhood, we should expect more of these pop-up events.     

This does not mean WHW Residents need to suffer in silence through parking, noise, and safety violations! The easiest way to notify the city is through the Official City App or via email at code@weho.org.  There is also a 24/7 Code Compliance Hotline at 323-848-6516.  Proper management of pop-up and other retail events is the best way to keep Melrose safe, desirable, and thriving, so please don’t be shy!