“I was definitely surprised to find people there in the bushes,” she said.
John Atts, an independent contractor for computer technology, has worked in the building for eight years. He is among more than 15 small businesses that conduct their operations in the tightly secured building.
As a result of the strong homeless presence, all entries to the building are closed to the public. Employees enter through a gated parking garage on Seventh Street, Atts said.
“I’ve had situations where the garage door will open and they’ll walk in,” Atts said.
The businesses never have to worry about their clients coming into contact with the homeless people as almost all of their business meetings are conducted outside of Santa Monica, Atts said.
One of the biggest mysteries concerning the building is the identity of the property owner and why that person has not removed the bushes. Atts said that he and many of the employees in the building do not know the identity of the owner. City Hall records also do not list a name for the building owner or names of any businesses conducted in the structure.
The Los Angeles County Assessor’s Office identifies the owner of the parcel as Sheila Bittman, who has a P.O. Box address in Santa Monica. Bittman did not a return a request for comment.
The employees that work in the vicinity of Seventh Street and Arizona Avenue have become desensitized to the homeless presence at the building. After all, there are homeless people every where in Santa Monica, they said.
When Susie Boyajan takes a stroll past the building at 707 Arizona Avenue at night, more often than not, she’ll see a homeless person sprawled on the front steps. Occasionally, the executive producer that works at post-production house Pop Sound — located directly across the street — will hear a voice yelling from behind the bushes.
“The police come pretty quickly if there’s a disturbance,” Boyajan said on Tuesday.
The building is on the Santa Monica Police Department’s “periodic check list,” meaning an officer will stop in once a day to check if the premises are clear of unlawful activity.
The building is unique in that it is located in an area that doesn’t generate much foot traffic, said Santa Monica Police Officer Robert Martinez, who checks the building in the late morning.
“It’s hard to see (from the building’s windows) down there unless you’re coming and going,” Martinez said.
The structure has been devoid of homeless activity during Martinez’ past few trips to Seventh and Arizona. It’s a hit or miss situation, he explained.
Most of the people that work at the 600 and 700 blocks of Arizona Avenue say they aren’t bothered by the homeless lounging around, mainly because they don’t panhandle.
“I see them once in a while when I go to Baja Fresh,” said Joy Wood, a receptionist at Riot, which is located directly across the street. “They pretty much keep to themselves.”
Several residents that live in the area say they intentionally avoid walking past the building at night as a precautionary measure, creeped out by the faceless voices that come from behind the dark hedges.
Liz Garcia works at a law office diagonally from 707 Arizona and lives about two blocks away. On her commute to work, Garcia said she walks on the south side of Arizona to avert any interaction with the homeless people.
“It’s not only because of the homeless,” Garcia said. “It’s to take precaution with everyone.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on October 15, 2007. Read the original PDF.