The problem is the film school wants additional access to their own parking for a few students.Because they don;t have access to a secondary ramp, they denied the market’s permit. Access to the second driveway will displace 75 vendors whose income will lost, and that of income will have ripple effect on the closure of other outdoor markets that are part of SEELA, including ones in Crenshaw, Central LA and Watts. But rtaher than try to resolve, LA Film School complained loudly and now the market is closed.

The Film School has spoken up in denial of the market’s permit, thus forcing them to CLOSE. As in, no market on Sunday, no income for 150 people directly and their families and staff, no fresh fruits and vegetables for thousands of shoppers. At the holidays.

I can only assume LA Film School’s term project is making The Grinch Who Stole Christmas as a reality show.

It does sound like that there are ways to solve this issue without giving in to rampant NIMBYism, often disguised as a sort of fake localvorism (“why don’t they shop at their own markets instead of coming here?” — a rationale used by the neighbors of a planned Minneapolis grocery store in order to make sure it wasn’t allowed to have adequate parking, and which kept people who work in town but live elsewhere from shopping there before or after work).

The film school just wants to not have a parking entrance unavailable because the street is shut down. I can see this, but not at the expense of losing the market.

I like the idea that they be given a waiver during the market (which ends in the early afternoon) to have students park next door at the ArcLight. Even if the city paid for it, they would get more money back in revenue from the market and people visiting and spending money in general.

Without the market, money will be lost and another special aspect of Hollywood will be lost as well.

If you can get a few extra people to forego their cars and use alternate means of transportation, the perceived problem may solve itself. (Oh, and make the same suggestion for the film school, too.)