Capital Improvement Options : West Hollywood Weighs ‘Wish List’

West Hollywood is preparing a capital improvement program, a ‘wish list of projects, topped by a $25-million civic center and $10.5 million for new parking facilities.

The city Public Facilities Board has approved the list, which now goes to the city Planning Commission.

The City Council will make the ultimate decision on which projects survive, either in June or shortly after the start of the next fiscal year, which begins July 1.

Councilman Alan Viterbi, who is scheduled to become mayor on June 1, said that preparation of the capital improvement budget represented an important step in the development of the 2 1/2-year-old city.

“We now are at the stage where we can decide what projects we need and how to finance them,” Viterbi said. “Our first goals were to provide basic city services and to establish planning goals for West Hollywood.”

Proposals for major building programs include $5.5 million for a multipurpose recreation and aquatics complex; $3 million for a senior citizens center; $2.5 million for affordable housing and $2 million for the economic revitalization of the city’s east side.

Assistant City Manager Jeri L. Chenelle said the capital improvement budget will determine the future of the city, “in essence what kind of city the City Council wants West Hollywood to become.”

She said there was no way to determine how much money the city will have to spend yearly on capital improvements because of the many variables in methods of finance.

“What we can say at this point is that there will not be enough money to build everything we need right away,” she said. “The process that now is under way is to establish priorities among projects.”

Chenelle said that the major projects that seem to command support among most council members are the new civic center and development of new parking.

“Anyone who has ever tried to park in West Hollywood will instantly recognize the need for parking,” Chenelle said.