Jurado makes clear she opposes approval of pending applications to rebuild the Boyle Heights cold-storage facility
LOS ANGELES – Councilmember Ysabel Jurado today urged the Los Angeles City Council's Planning and Land Use Management Committee to advance two measures she introduced to prevent the Lineage warehouse disaster from being treated as a routine rebuild and to establish substantially stronger consequences for violations that cause widespread community harm.
Councilmember Jurado, who represents Boyle Heights and the site of the June 17 fire, made clear that she opposes approval of the pending applications to rebuild the cold-storage facility operated by Lineage at 1400 South Los Palos Street.
"I want to be unequivocal: I oppose approval of the pending applications to rebuild this facility," said Councilmember Jurado. "This is not, and cannot be treated as, a routine rebuild."
"Lineage failed to meet the City's August 14 cleanup deadline and then failed to meet the August 20 food-removal deadline established in the South Coast AQMD order it agreed to. It reported that more than 100 percent of the food waste had been removed while food remained inside and later acknowledged that its methodology could create the misimpression that the work was complete. Updates are not results, and a corporation cannot grade its own cleanup and call that transparency."
"For more than two months, Boyle Heights families have carried the consequences of this disaster: smoke, unbearable odors, flies and pests, documented health impacts, economic disruption and uncertainty. Lineage should not be allowed to move faster on rebuilding than it has on cleanup, accountability and making this community whole."
Council File 26-0906-S10 would instruct the Department of Building and Safety, in coordination with the Los Angeles Fire Department, to withhold rebuild or reconstruction permits for the property until LAFD confirms that its investigation into the fire's cause is complete and all evidence-preservation needs have been satisfied.
The motion would also:
Direct the preparation of an interim control ordinance temporarily prohibiting specified permits and certificates of occupancy for large cold-storage warehousing and distribution uses near homes, parks, schools, day care centers and libraries in Boyle Heights.
Request recommendations from the City Attorney regarding the City's authority to delay or restrict permits associated with the property.
Direct City departments to evaluate discretionary review and environmental safeguards for future projects at the site.
Council File 26-0906-S11 would direct LADBS and the City Attorney to report within seven days with recommendations for penalties ranging from $25,000 to $1 million per fine for violations or noncompliance on projects that significantly affect surrounding communities.
The measure would also seek a mechanism for directing a portion of fees and fines collected from noncompliance at the Lineage site toward financial support for residents, workers and businesses affected by the fire.
"A fine that a corporation can simply budget for is not a deterrent. It is a cost of doing business," Jurado said. "Accountability must be proportionate to the harm. Boyle Heights is not a sacrifice zone, and this community deserves the same protection, urgency and dignity as every other neighborhood in Los Angeles."
A recent St. John's Community Health report found that 469 of 1,306 patients seen through its mobile-clinic response met fire-related exposure criteria, including respiratory illness, persistent coughing, eye disorders and asthma exacerbation.
"We cannot erase what happened," Jurado said. "But we can use every lawful authority available to protect residents, preserve the investigation and determine what this City permits next. Public health must come before corporate convenience, and the responsible parties, not Boyle Heights families, must bear the cost."