When it comes to ensuring public safety, West Hollywood doesn’t clown around.
To deal with the ongoing surge in crime amid the job cuts they requested at the Sheriff’s Department, City Hall is targeting an unlikely group of rulebreakers: the street performers of WeHo.
City Council will review a set of proposed regulations on street performers to address alleged safety concerns and noise disturbances at their meeting Monday. The proposed ordinance, titled “Street Performers,” is located in Title 11 of the West Hollywood Municipal Code and imposes reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions on street performers.
The city says it has received complaints about street performers blocking sidewalks and creating noise disturbances that impact the ability of pedestrians to move freely and safely. To address these issues, the proposed ordinance clarifies what street performers can and cannot do and specifies areas where they may perform.
According to the proposed ordinance, street performances may not occur within 10 feet of any bus stop or business or 15 feet from a street corner or crosswalk. Performances must also remain at least 20 feet away from any outdoor dining areas when a business is operating and 25 feet from any on-street valet loading zone or city-designated passenger loading zone.
Street performers may not use any prop or power source that may pose a risk to the safety of the public and shall not connect power cords to adjacent buildings or have them run across the sidewalk. If crowds begin to gather that block the free movement of pedestrian or vehicular traffic, the performer shall relocate.
Performers shall also not operate prior to 10 AM or after 10 PM and shall abide by the West Hollywood Noise Ordinance. In addition, street performers will not be allowed to perform within the Rainbow District or along Santa Monica Boulevard within or near the boundaries of a street closure during celebrations where thousands of pedestrians attend, such as during Pride or Halloween festivities.
The proposed ordinance allows any Peace Officer or designated City Enforcement Officer to enforce the provisions relating to crowd size and the blocking of traffic. If any street performer is found to be in violation of the code, they may be subject to an administrative citation.
City Council recognizes that street performers are engaged in First Amendment activities, but staff says the proposed ordinance imposes reasonable restrictions on street performers to ensure the safety of performers, their audience, and the general public, and to prevent unreasonable interference with residents’ enjoyment of peace and quiet in their homes or the ability of businesses to operate and conduct their business.
In the over 20 years that I have lived here, not only have I not seen many street performers but I do not object to them at all! Coming from NYC, I enjoyed the talent of the street performers while I lived there & I believe that those street performers gave a unique flavor to the talent of NYC! What’s wrong with these Council people that they want to target the very few street performers that exist here in WeHo?
Are you kidding? I see street performers daily, in the form of all of these stupid outfits people wear to get attention.
It’s more likely those are the people I live with, they dress like that all the time❗🤣
Why not simply license them at a nominal fee, provide a copy of regulations and move on. Focus on dangerous activities like perpetual speedsters and scooter miscreants. The city in unable to manage leaf blowers which are an abject nuisance in nearly every neighborhood.
I have never seen a street performer in West Hollywood as far as I can remember.Considering West Hollywood prides itself a a “Creative City”,you would think there would be many of them on the sidewalks every day.
Yes, there should be some restrictions on the performers,but I would be more impressed if the city take action against the homeless and have them removed from the public right-of-ways.They are the ones who block sidewalks and are aggressive toward pedestrians.
Noise ordinance? What noise ordinance? How many street racers have been cited while waking up the entire city at 4 AM, or drivers with ridiculously loud mufflers, or Harley riders cruising Sunset and revving their engines the whole time? At one point, several years ago, the city did talk about cracking down on excessively loud vehicles, but that didn’t last for more than a year, as I recall. That idea should be brought up again.
Leave it to Weho to over-regulate and fine people as a way to add to city coffers. Doesn’t the City have more important nuisances to worry about than punishing buskers?
Thank goodness they stepped up address this scourge on the community! I hope the will address other issues plaguing the city, like those roving gangs of man-eating clams.
Your graphic art is phenomenal, Brandon!
Thank you!! Too kind
YES, it’s not only phenomenal graphic art but, reflecting one seriously wild imagination that law enforcement would enforce any other law or ordinances over the chance to continue harassing me or people like me❗😲
A solution is search of a problem. There is a young woman who plays the bag pipes at the Matt Shepherd Triangle at Crescent Heights, occasionally a couple of black guys playing on the front lawn of Plummer Park on Santa Monica and sometimes a guy near the yogurt shop near Havenhurst. I think these people add a bit of joy to the Boulevard.
LMAO, street performers? Weho has street performers? There’s one at the BoA in Boystown, he’s no where near a driveway or near the traffic. Blocking driveways? Blocking traffic? Huh? Those are scooters. Who the hell proposes these ordinances? The council should be ashamed to bother with this crap. Work on scooters and homeless. Do something good.
“A wandering minstrel I, a thing of shreds and patches, of ballads, songs and snatches and dreamy lullaby...” Good buskers, street musicians, etc. should be encouraged and allwed with certain restrictions, of course. . A wandering violinist in Milan, a juggler in London, the hurry-gurdy man with his monkey in Boston..where’s the fun anymore?
another Gilbert and Sullivan enthusiast!
Another name for these street performers is “troubadours,” and isn’t one of the most famous clubs in West Hollywood, on Santa Monica Blvd., called “the troubadour???“
The WeHo hurdy-gurdy man better be prepared to pay the monkey prevailing wage.
Now do smokers.
West Hollywood, California: Where artists are treated like criminals and real criminals are treated to the red carpet.