Hugo's Disgrace

The intersection of Silver Lake Boulevard and the 101 Freeway is known as the

Gateway to Silver Lake – and is currently a disgrace to both our neighborhood

and the City of Los Angeles. As it is now, it’s more like the Gateway to Hell,

and not an entrance to one of the most iconic, quirky and classic

neighborhoods in Los Angeles.

Sadly, the area is home to an encampment where the residents live in a center

median of about 7 feet in width. They inhabit a space between lanes of

speeding traffic and present a danger to both traffic and themselves.

The situation has been an encampment for several years and has lately gotten

worse. The turn lane to the southbound 101 was covered in trash and bottles,

some broken, over the weekend. Tents and belongings spill into the turning

lane. Another lane is now partially blocked by about a dozen shopping carts. A

generator was observed last week and power is being obtained from an

underground utility box. Cars are constantly weaving around these dangers,

often stopping quickly, and the people who live there are often darting

between tents in the traffic lanes.

The situation is a danger to those who live there and drivers who pass

through. This encampment is an impediment to public safety. We ask our

readers, and more specifically the Councilmember, how can anyone think this

is a humane treatment of fellow Angelenos?

Who is responsible? Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez.

We ask the Councilmember: do you actually think this is humane treatment of

your fellow human beings? Are you proud of what you see when driving

through this area, or does your stomach turn like it should? You can no longer

pass the buck or make excuses. Calls to CalTrans and the Bureau of Street

Services have placed the responsibility squarely with the Council District as

those agencies have no jurisdiction over this issue. Shame on you and your

office. Weren’t you elected to solve problems?

While the Council District does clean the area monthly, the trash and debris fill

up immediately, and the situation does not get solved. People posting on Next

Door note the Council District says it is a “difficult area to resolve.” Other

council districts have been able to clean up, remove, and control

encampments. Why can’t CD13?

Will it take a tragedy to resolve this situation?

Under the previous Councilmember, the area was maintained far better and

was less of a public safety issue. Encampments were not prevalent, and the

area was constantly cleaned by the Silver Lake Improvement Association

(SLIA). In fact, the area was landscaped and improved over 20 years ago by

the SLIA as a community improvement project. A mural was also installed, is

now destroyed by the encampment and graffiti, and is now considered

irreparable. Maintaining the area now is dangerous, per the SLIA, and is not

possible.

Silver Lake Together would love to see the residents of this area housed, and

the area made safe for pedestrians and vehicles. Why can’t Councilmember

Martinez?

Editor’s Note: We encourage readers to send emails and concerns about this

tragic situation to:

Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez

Councilmember.Soto-Martinez@lacity.org

Michael Batistick, Homelessness Director

michael.batistick@lacity.org