Ocean Front Walk Ordinance In Effect; Midnight Curfew on Venice Boardwalk

Ocean Front Walk Ordinance In Effect; Midnight Curfew on Venice Boardwalk

The new Ocean Front Walk Ordinance that amends Los Angeles Municipal Code 42.15 to regulate vending and performances on the Venice Beach boardwalk went into effect Friday as some of its nuances continue to unfold.

Lt. Paola Kreefft of the Los Angeles Police Department told the Venice Neighborhood Council on Tuesday that officers will start enforcing a previous city regulation that prohibits any person from being at Venice Beach Park, including Ocean Front Walk, between the hours of 12 a.m. and 5 a.m. The enforcement of the park's hours became part of the plan to enforce the new vending rules, which prohibits overnight camping for vending spots.

"That obviously means that the park is closed to everyone, you can't sleep in the park overnight, you can't enter the park overnight, you can't linger and you can't loiter," she said. "It's going to be applied universally, not just to people who like to stay overnight in the park, but people who live in the area won't be able to walk on Ocean Front Walk after midnight."

The police department understands that there are homes and businesses along Ocean Front Walk and people will be allowed to walk to their homes and from a business to a parking lot.

"But if anyone wants to take a midnight stroll through the park, that's not going to be allowed," Kreefft said.

The VNC board has been supportive of the Ocean Front Walk ordinance, said VNC President Linda Lucks to Kreefft, but the part about the park closure was new information and not brought before the board.

VNC member Ivonne Guzman said she felt the overnight park closure was "taking a lot of our freedom away" and noted that she sometimes enjoys a midnight bike ride. 

VNC community officer Cindy Chambers said the closure of the park goes against the California Coastal Commission findings and said the park and its boardwalk should remain open to the public.

The VNC's Neighborhood Committee on Monday will hear from representatives from Los Angeles City Councilman Bill Rosendahl's office and residents on the newly posted rules at the Oakwood Park Recreation Center.

Meanwhile, the City of Los Angele...