Wednesday, February 18, 1998
Students deserve college town nightlife
WESTWOOD: Dancing prohibition a ridiculous rule to impose on
city’s businesses, younger taxpayers
Recently, a heinous crime was committed in Westwood. It was so
serious that the West Los Angeles Vice Squad had to step in and
cite the perpetrators. It wasn’t a shooting or robbery. It was
worse.
People were caught dancing.
Every Friday or Saturday night, UCLA students look for some
place to have fun. Many do not own cars, so their evenings are
often limited to Westwood. Unfortunately, students have very little
to do – one reason is that dancing is not allowed without a
conditional use permit, which is virtually impossible to attain.
The culprit: the Westwood Specific Plan.
The document sets the rules and regulations for commercial
growth in Westwood. The current plan caps the number of movie
seats, sets the height limits for new buildings at three stories
and makes all dancing illegal before obtaining a permit.
Back in the late ’80s, Westwood was a lively and exciting town.
The atmosphere of lights, music and droves of students reflected
Westwood for what it was – a college town. But due to increasing
crime and a shooting death in Westwood, residents did some killing
of their own.
The Westwood Specific Plan was created by concerned residents
looking to curb crime and violence. After the smoke cleared and the
yellow tape was removed, Westwood reappeared – void of all life.
Years later, Westwood is feeling the limiting effects of the
policies: There’s very little for students to do beyond eating,
shopping and watching movies.
The village desperately needs to be revitalized, and petty
regulations such as those prohibiting dancing do nothing but
further drain life from the ailing town. There is an anti-student
sentiment displayed by the residents of Westwood. This is
ridiculous. Westwood has been home to tens of thousands of college
students since the inception of UCLA in the 1920s. Those residents
who object to loud neighbors and the loud, rowdy activity
associated with college students should have thought twice about
moving next to a university of over 35,000 students.
Westwood is our home too, and we deserve a decent nightlife in
the city. Not many college towns outlaw typical college activities
as harmless as dancing.
The plan only serves to frustrate bored college students and
hinder Westwood businesses’ chance to survive. Residents are
taxpayers, but students also pay taxes in addition to tuition. We
should not have to suffer because of the conservative hostility
from Westwood residents, and businesses should not be limited by
silly regulations that accomplish nothing. Dancing won’t contribute
to violence, as suggested by the plan’s regulations.
Take a look at Westwood at night. Any visitor would be surprised
to find out Westwood is a college town. The overbearing residents’
complaints and regulations on Westwood’s growth are harmful – not
only are businesses feeling the sting, but students are too.
The plan needs to be reformed and rewritten to address the
reality of students’ being an inherent component of Westwood.
Students largely keep the businesses – and Westwood Village – from
completely withering. Yet when it comes to giving students what
they want – a decent Westwood nightlife – the residents refuse to
acknowledge our existence. It seems that some are forgetting that
this is our town too. We deserve a college town where we can have
fun.