Dispute Rolls On Over Expansion of Car Dealership

Trucks that deliver shiny new Rolls-Royces to a Ventura Boulevard car dealer are delivering trouble to an Encino neighborhood, residents complained to Los Angeles officials Tuesday.

Homeowners told a City Council committee that problems being caused by new-car deliveries to British motorcar dealer Terry York threaten to undermine a year’s worth of negotiations over expansion of York’s Rolls-Royce dealership.

Residents agreed last year to allow York to begin a $1-million showroom remodeling project, provided that York promised to end activities that caused irritation in the neighborhood.

For his part, York pledged that mechanics would not hot-rod Rollses on residential streets south of his boulevard lot during test drives and that he would get rid of a dealership burglar alarm that frequently disrupted neighbors’ sleep. He also agreed to unload cars on his lot instead of on Densmore Avenue, where the double-decker auto transport trucks disrupted traffic.

On Tuesday, homeowners charged that York has failed to keep his part of the bargain. They urged the council’s Planning and Environment Committee to revoke a zoning variance approved last fall by city planners.

“We neighbors certainly were under the impression that all deliveries would be on-site,” said homeowner Jim Esterle. “They unload in the middle of the street and cause tremendous traffic jams.”

Added neighbor Cynthia Berliner: “Mr. York has not been a very good neighbor. He was not supposed to let trucks double-park and block our street. As of last Friday, he was.”

Resident Stuart Herman said burglar alarms on the $185,000 Rolls-Royces left at the lot for repairs often go off at 2 a.m. “and nobody at the dealership cares.”

When the three-member committee questioned York about burglar alarms, he explained that audible alarms have been removed from his showroom and garage. He did not mention car alarms, and the committee did not press the issue.

York also told the committee that a 25-foot height limit demanded by residents for his proposed new buildings will prevent him from unloading the double-decker trucks on his lot.

Committee members ordered York to quit unloading the auto transporters in the middle of Densmore Avenue. They said they will authorize a red “no parking” zone next to the car lot for the transporters to use when unloading.

But panel chairman Hal Bernson told homeowners that the committee will recommend approval of the variance that will allow York’s remodeling to begin when the issue comes before the full City Council on Feb. 24.

Angry residents said they may ask their neighbors to reconsider the building height limits so the trucks can unload on York’s property.

If that doesn’t work, “the next thing is court,” Berliner said.