White Boy/White Dog Move To Skid Row

Certified Beach Dude Moves To Downtown Los Angeles

Just when I thought things were quieting down around here- they took the “monster crane” away yesterday, was I surprised. At 9pm last night I heard the sound of some heavy sawing as I was watching a movie. I looked out the window, and guess what?- 2nd St. was closed between Spring St. and Main St., and there were full-on lights and concrete cutting machines tearing into the pavement at 2nd and Main. Damn! I think I heard somewhere that this was going to be an on-going closure from 9pm to 5am for awhile, but I can’t confirm how long this will be an issue. The cutting stopped around 10:30pm so I was able to sleep OK, but I’m still a little leary about what lies in the future, as far as nighttime noise goes. Tonite I think I’ll go down there and talk to someone about what the plans are. Maybe I’ll be happy to move sooner than later.

UPDATE: An e-mail was sent to building residents by the management company and it explains what’s going on-

Dear Residents of Higgins Loft,

The LAPD Administration Building is nearing completion and as part of this process, the sewer connection at 2nd and Main Street is being excavated in order to connect the new Administration Building with the city sewer. In speaking with many of the Higgins residents, several questions were asked that management would like to address. They are:

Why is this work not being done during the day?

Per the Department of Transportation, the only allowable street closure time is between 8pm and 5am, otherwise the congestion in the city would be too great.

Isn’t a public hearing required to work late at night on the street?

Not in this case. The project coordinator from the L.A. Bureau of Engineering explained that the street closure and permit to work during the late hours of the night was approved by the Police Commission without a public hearing and processed through the Department of Building & Safety (and Bureau of Engineering) this way. The approval document is being forwarded to management this afternoon to confirm this and will be made available to home owners.

Can we do anything to stop the work from happening between 8pm and 5am?

That answer is not a simple answer. The police have been called and asked to visit the site to see if there is anything out of order with this process. So far, nothing has been found that indicates they are working without the proper approvals.

How long is this going to take?

The construction company estimates they will be done in the next 3 to 4 days provided they do not encounter any underground complications.

Can’t something be done to mitigate the impact of the noise?

Yes. Management is working to help mitigate the level of noise. The construction superintendent has instructed his crew to disable the “back-up beep” made when heavy machinery goes into reverse. The crew has also been told to avoid excess yelling and unnecessary banging of materials. Also, the crew is fully staffed in order to help expedite this process and complete the work quickly, possibly in 3 days.

More information will be forwarded as it becomes available. If there is anything management can do to help any resident or commercial tenant, please contact me.