Ghost Kitchen Updates

We have long heard issues from our stakeholders surrounding the Lankershim corridor between Hatteras St and Burbank Blvd. Drivers attempting to pickup orders at the DoorDash (Ghost) Kitchens would often perform reckless maneuvers or park illegally all along the block. Dashers would also loiter and litter along the sidewalks, which we heard from neighbors and business owners alike.

After years of working with our City partners, bollards were installed along the median in May of 2024 to prevent illegal parking and u-turns. We have been requesting 15-min loading zones be installed since that time as well.

When the new Council Member (Adrin Nazarian) took office, we raised these issues to keep them in the loop of continued stakeholder concerns. The Council District 2 Office has been a great partner here, coordinating meetings with these delivery apps to find a solution. Here is an update we received in May 2025, quote from our Council District 2 Field Deputy Adrian Grigorian:

I received confirmation from Uber representatives today that they have officially met and implemented our Council Office's formal requests of creating a 1,000ft radius dead zone around the DoorDash (Ghost) Kitchens where no orders can be received by pick up drivers, therefore dispersing the mass amounts of traffic caused equally throughout various corridors of North Hollywood to avoid the issues of congregation.

A view of the corridor from May 2025.

[W]e're grateful to have your partnership in making progress. Over the coming months our office will be working with LADOT to place a 40ft loading zone directly in front of the DoorDash (Ghost) Kitchens so people picking up orders have a specific place to park and pick up[.]

This has been a huge relief for the community, and we hope that you have experienced benefits from these safety updates. At our June NoHo Neighborhood Council Meeting, the full board voted unanimously to support Community Impact Statements for two related Council Files:

The first, 25-0568, asks the City to draft:

1. A definition of 'Ghost kitchens'

2. Criteria to assess the impacts of ‘Ghost Kitchens’

3. Potential land use controls that can mitigate nuisances on neighboring land uses

The second, 25-0557, asks the City to:

1. Draft a policy that would establish exclusion zones for all app-based delivery services

2. Provide recommendations to pilot the proposed policy

3. Report on the necessary staff and budget for implementation

We felt strongly, based on feedback from the community, that we should support both motions, and have since submitted our Community Impact Statements.

Thank you all for the engagement on this issue, and we hope to see continued improvement along this corridor in the future.