Pierce Fund-Raisers to Weigh Used-Car Lot Despite Bad P.R.

Leaders of a Pierce College support group refused Friday to disavow a controversial plan to sell used cars on the campus--even though the proposal has been “horrible P.R.” for its fund-raising campaign.

Officials of the Foundation for Pierce College said they feel obligated to give a fair hearing to a plan to expand a weekly campus swap meet by allowing the sale of used cars and trucks.

The privately owned Car Bazaar company wants to move its weekend sales operation to the Woodland Hills campus. It is being forced to vacate its home at Devonshire Downs to make way for a Cal State Northridge project.

The car-lot concept has been informally discussed at two foundation board meetings, although no written proposal has yet been submitted.

Some nearby homeowners and school officials oppose the proposal. They contend that car sales would be disruptive, could interfere with school activities and might lead to further commercialization of the 400-acre Pierce campus.

The controversy was fanned this week when Don Love, the foundation’s executive director, refused to discuss the proposal or the foundation. “When the publicity goes out, we’ll call you,” said Love, who is also Pierce’s dean of college development.

Foundation President Robert H. Benton said the car-lot issue has turned into a public relations nightmare.

“We got the wrong foot forward,” Benton said. “We’re not out here to cause any problems. We’re here to get the community to embrace Pierce. This has been horrible P.R.”

Benton, a Warner Center developer who is the foundation’s volunteer leader, said the 10-year-old organization relied on good community relations last year to raise more than $200,000 for Pierce scholarships and projects.

Among corporate and individual donors was the Woodland Hills Homeowners Organization, which contributed $6,400 raised from a curb-side recycling project and from yard sales. This week, the homeowners group vowed to go to court if necessary to keep the used-car lot from the campus.

The controversy will cause the foundation to closely scrutinize any formal plan, Benton said.

“We’ll take our time and weigh all the positives and negatives. How much can it raise for the campus? How much negativity will it cause? We may decide it doesn’t meet our goals.”

But if it turns out that the used-car lot could raise $2,000 or $3,000 a month for the foundation, he said, it might be worth it. “It’s a Catch-22 situation--we’re here to raise money for Pierce.”

David L. Blender, a Warner Center lawyer who is the foundation’s swap-meet coordinator, said the foundation has earned $11,000 since leasing the parking lot from the Los Angeles Community College District and subleasing it in March to the swap meet.