GATED ALLEY IN TARZANA A HELP, HINDRANCE.

Byline: Ryan Oliver Staff Writer

TARZANA - When a group of residents complained about drug pushers, taggers and prostitutes loitering in the alley behind their properties, the city gated it off at their request.

The solution worked - only too well.

The gates also kept city sanitation crews from entering the alley, leaving rats and roaches to become the alley's new unsavory element.

The saga of this Tarzana alley, running south of Erwin Street between Reseda Boulevard and Canby Avenue, has some neighbors confused and angry, and unsure who to blame.

``No one knows who's in charge when you try and call about this,'' said Myra Ferrante, who recoils in disgust when she recalls her recent encounter with a pair of rats ``the size of kittens.''

Two years ago, both ends of the alley were gated after a majority of neighbors requested the action. Under the city's Nuisance Alley Conversion program, the alley remains public property, but residents take responsibility for its upkeep.

Art Green - who doesn't recall signing the petition - said he didn't mind the gates until trash from a neighboring apartment complex began to accumulate in the alley.

``Before the gates came up, the city used to come in and clean the alley every quarter,'' he said. ``They weren't doing that anymore.''

Then rats and cockroaches began to invade the alley.

``I'd see them running across the alley,'' he said. ``I later found a rat in my pool filter. The rats are living off the trash piles back there.''

Green complained to his city councilman, Dennis Zine, who had a Public Works crew dispatched to the alley several months ago. But when the crew arrived, workers told Green they couldn't clean the alley because it had been gated.

Delphia Jones, director of the city's Operation Clean Sweep, which operates under the Board of Public Works, said once gates are installed, it becomes the residents' responsibility to clean the alley.

``We do that because in theory, all the trash accumulating in the alley should be coming from the residents,'' she said. ``Obviously with some of our closures, there have been problems. The property owners don't maintain them and they call to have the city come and do small things like weeding.

``The intent of the program is that once the alley is gated, the owners would take more responsibility.''

Jones said there have been few complaints about the more than 900 alleys that have been gated in the city. The alley in Tarzana is unique because much of the trash comes from an apartment complex and is not generated by the homeowners.

Shortly after being contacted by the Daily News last week, Jones dispatched a work crew to clean the alley. She said the work crew sent out several months ago was unaware of the rat problem that was creating a public health hazard.

Jones said it's up to the neighborhood alley coordinator - usually a resident who circulates the petition - to inform residents of their responsibilities.

Bernard Davis, the coordinator for the Tarzana alley, could not be reached for comment.

Green and several other neighbors said they were never told they would be responsible for cleaning up the trash and believe the city or the nearby apartment complex should be doing the work.

``What are we supposed to do?'' asked neighbor Francisco Alvarez. ``We're not dumping anything. Should we be responsible for cleaning it up?''

CAPTION(S):

photo, map

Photo:

Tarzana resident Myra Ferrante is disgusted with a rat problem caused by a gated alley intended to rid the area of drug dealers.

Gene Blevins/Special to the Daily News

Map:

Trash, rat infested alley

TARZANA