Is it justifiable to restrict neighborhood access for residents’ safety?
The Country Club Park community in LA’s 10th District, encompassing Koreatown, is split on the Pico Boulevard gates issue, prompting a discussion with City Council candidates.
The gates, also known as Pico gates, are located at the intersection of St Andrews Pl, Gramercy Dr, Wilton Pl, and Venice Blvd on the Pico Blvd line and obstruct both pedestrian and vehicular passage.
Constructed in the mid-80s, the Pico Gates were endorsed by residents and businesses to enhance safety and deter crime, with official permission. The area is known for its relatively large gardens, historic, protected homes, and high-income residents.
The nearly four-decade-long gate controversy ignited from nonprofit advocacy for pedestrian rights and anti-discrimination.
The central question is the fairness of restricting community access to safeguard a particular neighborhood.
“It would be unfair to keep that residents who pay taxes out of the way to make life easier for residents of luxury homes,” said a representative from Streets For All, an organization that has been working on the issue, adding, “It’s long overdue to open the gates.” “What would the city be like if all residents had to live with metal gates on their homes and communities,” some said.