To the editor: The front-page story about bar and restaurant noise disturbing residents of Venice could have been my own (“Is he ‘The Venice Karen’ or a crusader for a better community? L.A. may soon decide,” April 18). But after more than 30 years’ residence in Santa Monica’s Ocean Park neighborhood, I left because of the congestion and the noise, and the city’s tolerance of it.
I lived on Second Street, right behind Main Street, and was regularly subjected to the amplified order-ready announcements emanating from a pizza parlor’s patio, and the loud voices of bar patrons at closing time. That was years before the pandemic forced restaurant service onto the sidewalks.
The Venice neighbors described in the story didn’t object to the proximity of businesses. They objected to the nuisance of their noise.
By law, people have the right to the quiet enjoyment of their property. They should not be expected to forfeit that to commercial interests unable to adjust to post-pandemic circumstances, and the city should not enable their inability.
I miss living at the edge of the continent, the smell of salt air, the surf nibbling the sand under my feet. I don’t miss the noise. Where I live now, nighttime supplies the sound of silence. Or maybe the hoot of an owl, if I’m lucky.
Ellen Alperstein, Palm Desert
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To the editor: The plight of the victims of nuisance businesses in Venice is all too common. I went through a similar situation in another city that caters to nightlife and alcohol — West Hollywood — and eventually had to move. Irresponsible business owners will always break laws because they know they can get away with it.
The only real solution is to ensure nuisance never starts by planning for entertainment zones within industrial or commercial areas. But such planning is beyond the capabilities of local government.
Dan Silver, Los Angeles