Funkytown! Residents Of Studio City Are Tired Of The 'Stink Hole' On Their Hands
STUDIO CITY (CBSLA.com) — If you've driven by that sinkhole in Studio City -- the one that swallowed two vehicles -- you've probably noticed something doesn't quite smell right.
It's offensive and putrid -- no surprise, given the sinkhole opened up over a broken sewer line.
Residents are fed up with the smell and many of them spoke to KCAL9's Laurie Perez Saturday night about the sinkhole some are now referring to as "the stink hole."
It's been two weeks since the massive rains opened up the hole at Woodbridge Street off busy Laurel Canyon Boulevard.
It's still a construction zone. They've had to close parts of the neighborhood, and traffic is a headache, but that's not the big issue.
Neighbors say they are noticing a funk.
"Sewer," said mom Amy Schulenberg.
"Sewer," said one of her kids.
"Sewer," said another.
"Sewer," said another.
Would dad make it unanimous?
"Roses," he quipped.
Jokes aside, there is no missing, or mistaking, the smell.
"It just smelled like sewage," a local woman said.
The chasm in the street off Laurel Canyon Boulevard would have caused enough of an inconvenience, but the smell seems to be overkill.
"In my words, it stinks," said a man named Paul.
Several neighbors saw the sinkhole swallow the cars live, many others saw it on TV. KCAL9 was over the scene when the second vehicle plunged into the hole. They couldn't believe their eyes -- and now many can't believe their noses.
"Open the doors up, I'm going 'Oh my God', the whole house," said one resident.
"At night we have to keep the windows shut, the doors shut, or else our whole house smells," another said.
A City Department of Public Works spokeswomen says they haven't had any official complaints about the stench, but acknowledged that since a sewer line opened up, there might be a smell.
RELATED LINK: Large Sinkhole Swallows 2 Vehicles In Studio City
Perez reports most neighbors are being patient, but said they can't hold their breath forever.
"It's a big job...but yeah, it's getting a little smelly in the neighborhood," said a neighbor.
Officials say it will likely take two to three more weeks of work to fix the mess.
Perez heard from a spokesperson Saturday night who said now they know there's concern from neighbors about the smell, they might have to do some odor control at the site.
