Hollywood Business Owners Install Planters To Keep Out Homeless Tents, Defy City Order To Remove Them

Business owners in Hollywood, California, frustrated with the city’s handling of the homeless crisis, have taken matters into their own hands. After a prolonged battle against homeless encampments that drove away customers and threatened their livelihoods, they pooled their resources to install planters and garden beds to prevent the return of tents. However, city officials have demanded the immediate removal of these planters.

The decision to install planters came after a two-year struggle. City officials cleared out the encampments at the beginning of June, but to prevent their return, business owners took action. Despite their efforts, the city sent a notice on Friday declaring the planters as obstructions and requiring their removal by Monday morning, threatening to send city workers to clear them out if the owners did not comply.

Andrew Monheim, owner of Monheim Microphones, expressed his frustration to KTLA-TV, stating, “We’ve literally watched all our neighbors leave. I think one of the saddest things right now is small business retention. The mayor should be embarrassed because it’s disgusting how many small businesses have fled and left.”

Monheim and other business owners are incensed at the city’s response. “You should be proud to have tourists walking down the street instead of defecation and p*** on the ground,” Monheim said, addressing city officials. “You should be proud to have money coming in and flowing through your city.”

Paul Camarata, owner of the legendary music studio Sunset Sound, has been vocal about the issue for years. “It’s been a frustration for me and all my employees,” he told KABC-TV. “They were blocking our entrance, blocking our trash can removal. Obviously, not conducive for the clients that come in here to see what’s going on and they’ve got to wade through it driving in.”

Camarata mentioned that he spoke to the mayor, who assured him that the homeless tents would not return. Despite this, business owners are determined to keep the planters. Monheim even suggested he might lock them down with chains to prevent removal. “They will not move on Monday,” he declared.

This standoff between Hollywood business owners and the city highlights the ongoing struggle to address the homeless crisis while supporting local businesses. The owners’ defiance signals their desperation and determination to protect their livelihoods.