Neighbors Voice Concerns About Plans to Expand Laurel Plaza

North Hollywood residents voiced concerns Thursday about increased traffic, noise and pollution that they say an expanded Laurel Plaza shopping center would generate.

About 250 neighbors of the site attended a public meeting at Laurel Hall School to exchange information with representatives of the developer of the proposed $150-million expansion.

The meeting was sponsored by May Co. and Forest City Commercial Development, which plan to replace the small shopping center beside the Hollywood Freeway near Laurel Canyon Boulevard with a mall with four department stores and a 10-story office tower.

Opposition Told

“The project is larger than the Glendale Galleria and yet it will be built on less acreage and will have less parking,” said Bob Carcia, president of the neighborhood group STOP, which stands for Slow the Overdevelopment Process. “Until the city of Los Angeles can mitigate the problem that we now have with traffic, air pollution and rapid transit, then I don’t feel projects of this size should be allowed to go forward.”

Others said traffic in the area is already congested and will only get worse if the project goes through. “We have to have progress, but progress at what expense?” Gertrude Stone said.

Kurt Hunter, president of the North Hollywood Homeowners Assn., said he could support the project if certain changes were made.

“We have to get the bulk and scale of the mall reduced, and I think that can be accomplished by putting some of the parking underground,” he said. “I’m hoping we can reach a mutual agreement with the developer.”

The project calls for Laurel Hall, a private elementary school that is part of Emmanuel Lutheran Church, to be moved across Radford Avenue into a residential area to make room for a department store and one of two multilevel parking garages.

In return for the site, the developer has proposed building an $8-million school for Laurel Hall next door to the church. However, the developer must get permission from the church congregation to move the school.

The Rev. Andrew Jensen said his congregation supports the project.

“Without progress, you die,” Jensen said, adding that the “developer has gone out of his way to meet the needs of the community.”

Environmental Report

Joan Kradin, spokeswoman for Forest City, said the public’s written comments and suggestions will be delivered to the city Planning Department for review. She said an environmental impact report is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

If the project is approved, Kradin said, her company hopes to open the mall in 1993.

Kradin said Forest City chose the Laurel Plaza site because retailers have expressed a strong interest in the area. However, she said that only May Co. and Robinson’s are committed to the project, and that negotiations are continuing with the Nordstrom and J. C. Penney department stores.