SHERMAN OAKS : Free Parking Offered as Project Continues

Starting next week, the city of Los Angeles will provide 120 free parking spaces to temporarily replace public spaces eliminated by the construction of a senior citizen housing project in Sherman Oaks, officials said Wednesday.

The replacement parking will be available from Tuesday through Nov. 23 at La Reina Fashion Plaza, located on the 14600 block of Ventura Boulevard, across the street from the proposed Dickens Senior Citizen Housing project.

Councilman Zev Yaroslavsky, whose district includes Sherman Oaks, said he and the project developer are looking for another parking site for the period between Nov. 23 and the anticipated completion of the project in June, 1995. The nonprofit housing center will include a 206-space parking structure.

Years ago when the plaza was proposed, the city’s Department of Transportation ordered the developer to widen Ventura Boulevard by 370 feet west of Van Nuys Boulevard. The widening was ordered to allow for the addition of double left-turn lanes on east-bound Ventura to north-bound Van Nuys.

But some residents and merchants opposed the improvement, saying they didn’t want to lose sidewalks that would have to be removed to permit the widening.

As a resolution, Yaroslavsky said he is instructing the Department of Transportation to widen Ventura by just 150 feet and only on one side of the boulevard in front of a gas station. The modification will allow for the addition of the additional left-turn lane but will remove little walkway.

The improvements are expected to be completed by this fall.