Letters to the Editor: It's ridiculous to consider apartment renovation an 'essential' business

To the editor: For the safety of construction workers, many of whom share tools and necessarily work in close proximity to one another, and for the peace of mind of neighboring residents (many of them elderly) faithfully following stay-at-home orders, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti should follow San Francisco's lead and temporarily suspend work on purely cosmetic remodels. ("Tenants fed up with noise, dust, and water shutoffs from renovations amid coronavirus," April 2)

We certainly don't want infected construction workers further overburdening our emergency rooms, nor do we want neighboring residents, subjected to incessant noise, becoming even more anxiety-ridden.

David Schaffer, Woodland hills

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To the editor: It is not just the residents of high-density apartments who are subjected to daily, all-day noise from renovations to adjacent units.

For the last several weeks we have been listening to nearly daily construction noise as we "shelter in place" and the new owner of the next-door property readies it to become the latest short-term vacation rental in this neighborhood.

Is constructing a mammoth party bar and barbecue considered an essential service?

Gary Tereshkow, Palm Springs

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To the editor: For those who have to deal with cosmetic construction and renovation noise daily in Hollywood, this issue isn't new; it's just been ignored by the proper officials.

Now that it's affecting everyone because so many of us are now at home all day, maybe the agencies responsible will scrutinize more sites and finally take action and stop the gentrification train, at least during this crisis.

Don't we at least deserve respite in our own homes?

Peter Hopkins, Los Angeles