LA residents near famous Hollywood sign fed up with over-saturation of tourists and illegal vendors

LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles residents living near the iconic Hollywood sign have filed a public nuisance complaint over what they describe as out-of-control tourist activity that has turned the area adjacent to the landmark into a "public toilet."Multiple residents of Hollywood Hills neighborhoods filed a complaint Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court against the city of Los Angeles, Mayor Karen Bass and City Councilwoman Nithya Raman, alleging that officials have allowed the area near the sign to become a public nuisance.State law defines a public nuisance as "anything which is injurious to health, … or is indecent or offensive to the senses, or an obstruction to the free use of property, so as to interfere with the comfortable enjoyment of life or property, or unlawfully obstructs the free passage or use, in the customary manner, of … any public park, square, street, or highway."The Hollywood sign stands in the Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, on May 29, 2025.(Eric Thayer/Bloomberg)Cigarette butts found near the area.

(Los Angeles County Superior Court/Central District) POPULAR BEACH TOWN REJECTS NOISE, TRASH AND TRAFFIC AS IT WEIGHS STRICTER VACATION RENTAL RULESAccording to the complaint, residents have cited illegal street vending and dumping, along with "public urination and defecation that occur regularly on the City’s property." They also point to increased traffic on surrounding streets and what they describe as an unacceptable risk of devastating fires and gridlock that severely limits their ability to leave their homes.Visitors, they say, routinely smoke cigarettes and throw their cigarette butts into the grass, despite prohibitions against smoking and the significant fire hazard it poses.Likewise, if a fire were to break out — as has happened in the past — increased traffic could prevent fire trucks from reaching their destinations.POPULAR VACATION HOT SPOTS SLAP LIMITS ON TOURIST RENTALS, DRIVING AND MORE TO PROTECT 'STUNNI...