New tents and encampments southeast of WHOLE FOODS negate most recent cleanup.
By Nick Antonicello
The sidewalk on Rose Avenue east of the most recent cleanup at WHOLE FOODS at its pedestrian and parking entrance has been negated by a new and growing community of unhoused individuals.
The picture you see was taken Wednesday, November 22nd.
The new encampment has also attracted two mobile vehicles housing the homeless.
One is a black RV while the other appears to be a rented U-Haul panel truck.
There is also another RV not pictured west of the two tents in the image, with a series of personal items and bike parts strewn on the sidewalk making pedestrian accessibility problematic.
City officials diligently cleaned up the sidewalk and curb on the northside of Rose, which the walkway is fenced and the parking area restricted to a protected pedestrian path with guarding.
The entire WHOLE FOODS location has been surrounded by tents and RV’s until the cleanup some three weeks ago.
The popular upscale grocer which is owned by AMAZON shares the space with a Ninety-Nine Cents retailer that has since announced its closing their doors officially on January 5th.
WHOLE FOODS expanded its foot print at that location several years ago replacing a longtime laundromat. The space also saw the demolition of an abandoned Thomas Burgers last year as well that was north of the gas station facing Lincoln.
The current street encampment on Rose occupies roughly ten individuals.
Beyond the encampment on Rose, there is also a food vendor that sets shop daily on Lincoln in the evening due north, closer to the main entrance and the CVS Pharmacy. That retailer also has been plagued with encampments too.
Yo! Venice will continue to monitor cleanups as well as new encampments that seem to sprout up when vehicles are moved and the sidewalks are cleared.
Nick Antonicello is a thirty-year resident of Venice and monitors both encampment cleanups and RV locations throughout the neighborhood. Have a new encampment on your street or block? Contact Antonicello via e-mail at nantoni@mindspring.com
