The Hollywood Farmer’s Market will remain at its existing location on Ivar and Selma Avenue into April after an agreement was reached on Dec. 17 with the Los Angeles Film School.

The entrance to a parking lot for the Los Angeles Film School on Ivar Avenue is at the center of a disagreement between the film school and the Hollywood Farmers’ Market. The groups have until April to resolve their differences. (photo by Edwin Folven)

Representatives of the film school had refused to sign-off on permits for street closures for the market because they contend the market blocks the entrance to one of the school’s parking lots. The entrance in question is located on Ivar Avenue between Sunset Boulevard and Selma Avenue.

The agreement was brokered by City Council President Eric Garcetti, 13th District, who met separately with each side last Thursday. The film school has agreed to a 90-day extension, after the current permit expires in January, for the Hollywood Farmers’ Market to explore options that are mutually beneficial to both parties. One of the options that has been discussed is moving only the portion of the market between Sunset and Selma Avenue to Ivar Avenue between Hollywood Boulevard and Yucca Street. Representatives of the Hollywood Farmers’ Market have agreed to study that option and others, and will create a timeline for making changes. The film school has agreed to study the possibility of joining two of its parking structures to allow more access for students on Sundays, when the market is held. The City of Los Angeles has issued a street closure permit for the Hollywood Farmers’ Market that will last through April 12.

The Hollywood Farmers’ Market and Michael Woo, the board president for Sustainable Economic Enterprises of Los Angeles (SEE-LA), the organization that oversees the market, issued a joint statement with Garcetti’s Office on the agreement.

“We are pleased to inform Hollywood stakeholders that we are collectively moving forward with a mutually-agreed upon process to address the important needs of the Hollywood Farmers’ Market, the Los Angeles Film School, and the community they share. All of us want to see the Hollywood Farmers’ Market continue in Hollywood, and we have each committed to work together to identify a reasonable resolution that protects each party’s legitimate needs. The council office remains committed to keeping the Selma/Ivar intersection as the market’s anchor. Further, the parties agree that the market should not be reduced in size, that it should remain accessible, and that the safety of the market’s patrons and the film school’s students, faculty and staff must not be compromised.”

The Film School also issued a statement regarding the agreement.

“The Los Angeles Film School believes that the Hollywood Farmers’ Market is a valuable institution in the Hollywood community and that the market should continue to operate.

Julie Wong, a deputy to Garcetti, said both parties will be meeting bi-weekly to discuss options until a permanent agreement is reached.