City Council Lets Hiuka Stay Open in San Pedro : Regulation: Scrap yard gets two-year reprieve while operator finalizes plans to move to Long Beach. Firm must continue to follow restrictions.
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The Los Angeles City Council has agreed to allow a once-controversial scrap yard in San Pedro to stay open while its operator finalizes plans to relocate to Long Beach.
At the urging of Harbor area Councilman Rudy Svorinich Jr., lawmakers voted 12-0 on Tuesday to permit Hiuka America Corp. to remain operating at its North Gaffey Street yard for up to two years as long as the company continues to adhere to 17 restrictions on its business.
The restrictions include limiting Hiuka’s hours of operation to 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday and closure of the 20-acre yard on Sunday. The company already is following these and the other restrictions; the council’s action formalizes that compliance.
The council took the action just as Hiuka faced a city deadline for appealing a previous council decision that threatened to have the scrap yard declared a public nuisance. The city began to apply such pressure on Hiuka two years ago in response to complaints from nearby homeowners about the noise, dirt and debris generated by the scrap yard.
Since then, to keep peace with neighbors, Hiuka has voluntarily agreed to the 17 restrictions and conditions outlined by city officials.
While Hiuka’s operations once caused controversy, the company’s adherence to the new work hours, noise restrictions and the other regulations apparently have quelled concerns. In fact, at Tuesday’s hearing, only one person spoke on the issue of granting Hiuka more time at the current site. And that speaker--an East Wilmington businessman--supported Svorinich’s proposal.
In urging the council’s action, Svorinich also was brief. “I have reviewed the proposed agreement between the company and the city,” he told colleagues. “And I do believe this proposal is in the best interest of the city, the community . . . and the company. I believe it is a win-win-win agreement.”
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