School Told to Solve Problems Over Traffic

The Los Angeles Planning Commission on Thursday ordered officials from Village Christian School in Sun Valley to come up with a plan to solve parking problems and traffic congestion around its campus in scenic La Tuna Canyon.

The order was issued after 30 residents protested during a hearing on the school’s application for a permit to build a small office and storage shed on the property at 8930 Village Ave.

Residents living near the school claim that there is too much traffic. They said the expansion, although minimal, should not be permitted because the school has increased in size over the years.

The school has more than 1,800 students in elementary through high school grades, down from a peak enrollment of 2,000 in 1983. Village Christian Supt. Jeff Woodcock said the school was originally constructed for 2,000 students.

Residents complained that students park on the narrow streets and create so much congestion that it is difficult to enter and leave the neighborhood, especially when school opens in the morning and closes in the afternoon.

‘Grown Too Large’

“The school has grown too large for this community,” said Mary Ann Geyer of the La Tuna Canyon Community Awareness Assn.

The school was built in the rural area under a conditional-use permit issued by the city in 1957. Opponents of the expansion contend that the permit should be updated before any further expansion is permitted.

“There are legitimate concerns about traffic and I want assurances from the school that these concerns will be reviewed,” said commission president William G. Luddy.

The commission voted 4 to 0 to give school officials six months to resolve the situation.

An attorney for the school, Eric N. Lindquist, said it is the school’s intention “to be a good neighbor.” He said the school has already planned to build a parking lot and to redesign drop-off and pickup points.