California program to lease land under freeways faces scrutiny after major Los Angeles fire
By JULIE WATSON and AMY TAXIN
Associated Press
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The state of California operates a little-known program to lease land under freeways that is now under scrutiny after this weekend’s arson fire under Interstate 10 in Los Angeles. The land under the freeway was leased by the state of California to businesses that deal in everything from wood pallets to cardboard boxes to hand sanitizer. Saturday’s blaze burned hundreds of columns, forcing the closure of a mile-long stretch of a vital artery for Los Angeles that is used by hundreds of thousands of people daily. Gov. Gavin Newsom says the state will re-assess the practice in the wake of the fire.
