Line files allow reconstruction of the Boyle Heights warehouse. ‘A slap in the face,’ said the mayor
A permit application to rebuild the Lineage cold storage facility has been met with heavy criticism from politicians and residents, who are outraged that the company would consider reopening the business while the public faces odor and health concerns from the ongoing cleanup.
On Monday, a Lineage representative filed a permit with the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety to rebuild the 491,000-square-foot warehouse to its “original, pre-fire condition.”
LA Mayor Karen Bass slammed the request as a “slap in the face” to Boyle Heights families.
“I don’t believe them [Lineage] they can even think of starting a rebuilding program when they haven’t addressed the mess they have created,” he said in a statement on Tuesday.
More than a month after a massive fire broke out at the warehouse, Lineage is still working to remove more than 85 million tons of food that has been in storage for a week, bringing foul odors, flies and rats to the surrounding area.
Lineage said in a statement Tuesday that the permit application “will not affect or interfere with the important work of cleanup,” which remains a top priority for the company.
The permit, which has yet to be approved, calls for repairing and rebuilding portions of the building damaged by the fire based on approved drawings on file “without any change showing the building’s area, square footage, height, use, or occupancy.”
“The request is for a permit to repair the damage caused by the fire, which was not caused by the cold storage in this facility,” said the company. “This is a normal course in the rehabilitation process.”
The company also noted that cold storage facilities are critical infrastructure that keep food moving in grocery stores throughout Los Angeles.
Councilor Ysabel Jurado said it was “outrageous” that Lineage applied for permits to rebuild while the disaster that was created has not been cleaned up and the surrounding area “remains in a state of disrepair.”
Lineage has drawn fines from the county health department and the South Coast Air Quality Management District in the past few weeks as residents filed complaints about persistent odor problems.
“Given the conditions the residents are still enduring and the company’s failure to make this community whole, rebuilding is not even a conversation I’m willing to have,” said Jurado.
Earlier, Bass said that the residents should have a say in whether the company returns to the area. On Tuesday, his office said it was busy reviewing its rules to reflect concerns about Lineage’s intent to rebuild. Last month, Bass issued orders authorizing Lineage to remove all food waste within 45 days and mobilize community services.
Since the fire broke out, residents of Boyle Heights and its surroundings have again complained that Lineage should not return to the area, calling the presence of the facility a future and current health hazard.
In early July, about 50 protesters gathered outside the warehouse and asked the warehouse manager to “pack up and leave” after cleaning up its mess.
“We don’t want Lineage to rebuild now, or again,” said protester Maria Jauregui, 62. in the meeting.
Times staff writer Salvador Hernandez contributed to this report.
