Central Los Angeles
LOCAL VICTORY: It took plenty of blood, sweat and community canvassing, but it all paid off for homeowners in the Windsor Hills area of Southwest Los Angeles. At a hearing before the county Business Licensing Commission, commissioners last week voted 4 to 1 against the opening of United Pawnbrokers at 5001 La Brea Ave.
“It was a victory for the whole community,” said Tony Nicholas, president of the United Homeowners Assn., which represents households in Windsor Hills and surrounding areas.
Residents had been fighting a shop proposed for a mini-mall island at the intersection of La Brea, Stocker Street and Overhill Drive. Nicholas and others protested the opening of United Pawnbrokers as a potential crime magnet and an affront to the affluent community.
“There are already too many pawnshops in the [adjacent] Crenshaw area,” resident Walter Dubuclet said. “We don’t need another one in the black community.”
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
