Lake Hollywood Park, a popular tourist destination beneath the iconic Hollywood Sign, is reportedly the site of unsanitary practices by unpermitted food vendors, according to local residents. These individuals are accused of using the park's bushes for defecation and urination before preparing and selling food, raising significant public health concerns.
Exclusive photos obtained by The California Post appear to show vendors engaging in these acts before returning to sell products to customers. Residents have documented what they describe as vendors relieving themselves in the park, dumping wastewater into the street, and leaving behind trash. Longtime resident Cindy Cobb stated, "It's disgusting. They go to the bathroom in the bushes… then they come back. Mind you, there's no hand washing because there's no bathroom. They're urinating and defecating in a park space, and then they come back and cut fruit."
Health officials caution that fresh produce can become contaminated when handled by individuals who have not properly washed their hands after using the restroom. The parasite Cyclospora, which causes the intestinal illness cyclosporiasis, can spread through food or water contaminated with human feces and has been frequently linked to fresh produce. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises consumers to thoroughly wash fresh fruits and vegetables under clean running water before consumption.
Lake Hollywood Park attracts thousands of visitors weekly, and residents say the absence of public restrooms and handwashing stations has created an ongoing sanitation problem. They claim vendors routinely use nearby bushes as makeshift bathrooms. Residents have reportedly lodged complaints with various city and county departments, including the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, park rangers, the Bureau of Street Services, Mayor Karen Bass' office, and Councilmember Nithya Raman's office. One complaint to the county Department of Public Health received a response stating that the complaint was assigned to the Environmental Health Mobile Food Program and placed in a queue due to a high volume of unpermitted vending complaints.
"What we're against is the city not enforcing its own ordinances," Cobb said. "This is a public health issue." Residents argue that officials had opportunities to address the problem years ago before it escalated.
In addition to alleged unsanitary practices, residents also claim vendors are dumping wastewater into storm drains and streets, leaving behind refuse, and creating fire hazards by cooking within a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone. Scott Meyers, a candidate for U.S. House of Representatives for California's 30th Congressional District, expressed concern about unregulated food preparation near the park. He noted that "Thousands of unsuspecting customers, seeking refreshment in the dead of summer, order fruit, cut by the hands of food vendors, unregulated and free from any County Health inspection, who have just relieved themselves in the bushes in the perimeter of the park."
Cobb suggested that some fruit carts might be part of a larger operation, with trucks delivering and collecting carts daily. She also voiced a suspicion that some workers may be exploited, stating, "I think a lot of these people are trafficked to do the jobs. It's not right." The California Post has reached out to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, Mayor Karen Bass’ office, and Councilmember Nithya Raman's office for comment.