Tax OKd to Clean Up Neighborhood

The Inglewood City Council has unanimously approved a special property-tax assessment district to help clean up debris in the Dixon-Darby neighborhood, despite objections from several property owners.

Several Dixon-Darby apartment owners opposed the idea, saying they cannot afford the average $163 a year because a surge in drug dealing and gang wars earlier this year chased many tenants away.

The council, however, said the program will benefit landowners by increasing their property values and helping to attract new tenants. A two-person cleanup crew will clear the area of the debris and discarded furniture and appliances that clutter streets and alleys.

Under the measure, Dixon-Darby property owners will begin paying the special tax in the fall of 1987 to pay for the year-round cleanup. The program is part of the city’s effort to upgrade Dixon-Darby, which is just south of the Hollywood Park race track near Crenshaw Boulevard.