Eastside News Roundup: Liquor Store Inspections, a Teen Pregnancy “Hot Spot,” Publicly Opposed Wyvrenwood Development Gets Award

3:27 PM PDT on May 15, 2012

The liquor store at the corner of State and First Street removed its storefront advertisements (shown in photo above) after an inspection by the Los Angeles Police Department and the California Alcohol Beverage Control of liquor vendors. Photo illustration by Erick Huerta.

(This is the first in a series of regular news updates on Boyle Heights Streetsblog will publish. For those not familiar with this slice of the city, we hope this news round-up will help provide more flavor and background for our Boyle Heights writing.)

Last week, I was kicked out of my house for fumigation. The past weekend, I was up north for a friend’s graduation (Congrats Cindy Chen on getting your bachelor’s degree). Just because I was away, doesn't mean that the news slowed down in Boyle Heights.

In the past couple of weeks, there have been liquor store inspections, Roosevelt High School was called a teen pregnancy “Hot Spot” and White Memorial Hospital broke ground on a possible addition to its facility. To catch up on the lost of time, I made it into this post, with some additional information.

“Hundreds of Boyle Heights Liquor Stores Get Visit From the ABC” reported in EGP News

Forty California Alcohol Beverage Control and Los Angeles Police Department officers inspected nearly 200 liquor vendors two weeks ago in response to complaints from the public over the high availability of alcohol in the neighborhood. While there were no citations handed out, according to a report by Eastern Group Publications, one liquor store has changed its look after the inspections. Community Blogger Erick Huerta made a before and after photo of a liquor market on the corner of State Street and First Street and posted it on various social media outlets (photo is shown at the top of the post).

Sergeant Marc Archuleta, the head of the LAPD Vice Department at Hollenbeck station , said that businesses can only have 50 percent of windows covered with advertisements. If a store has a violation, the officers warn the business and allow them to resolve the problem rather than fine the store for a first offense.

(Click here for the full story.)

The Congress of New Urbanism awards the master plan for the New Wyvernwood - Boyle Heights Mixed-Use Community

While the Wyvernwood Apartments off of Whittier Boulevard have been publicly opposed, the master plan hasn't avioded the spotlight in mainstream urban planning circles. The master plan, which was designed by the architecture firm Torti Gallas and Partners, received an award at the 2012 Congress for New Urbanism conference.

From the CNU website describing the project:

The proposed project conceives the public realm first, establishing a robust system of interconnected parks and through-streets that a) provides an armature for connecting existing urban corridors to larger systems of public open space, including the nearby Los Angeles River and Hollenbeck Park, b) allows the development to contribute holistically to a greater Boyle Heights, and c) provides safe recreational opportunities in an under-served community.

The project has been 0pposed by Boyle Heights residents and by Jose Huizar, the City Councilman whose district represents the apartments.

NPR: "In L.A. Pregnancy 'Hot Spot,' An On-Campus Clinic"

Boyle Heights has been considered a “Hot Spot” for teen pregnancy, with rates two to three times higher than other neighborhoods. In response, Roosevelt High School partnered with Planned Parenthood in 2008 to have a clinic on campus. In 2008 there were 32 pregnancies. The following year there were only three.

Also, Boyle Heights Beat first reported this story in December.

(Click here for the full NPR story)