Fight Over Former Site of Carwash Takes a New Form

The celebrated carwash itself may be gone, but Studio City’s battle over the site where the neighborhood landmark formerly stood continued Monday, with development opponents citing liquor and zoning laws instead of the cultural memorabilia of the 1950s.

Leaders of a neighborhood group fought the issuance of city conditional-use permits for three trendy Westside restaurants and a stereo store proposed for the two-story Laurel Promenade shopping center under construction at Ventura and Laurel Canyon boulevards.

The construction site was the focus of a nationally publicized controversy last year when opponents of the shopping center development led an effort to declare the carwash that stood on the site a culturally significant example of 1950s architecture. The preservation effort was widely viewed as a creative ploy to stop more development along busy Ventura Boulevard.

Although the developer, Ira Smedra, eventually won a lawsuit against the city over the cultural landmark issue and successfully obtained a building permit, the carwash battle left bitter feelings between the developer and neighborhood activists.

Studio City Residents Assn. President Polly Ward complained during Monday’s hearing at the Van Nuys Woman’s Club that Ventura Boulevard already has too many bars and restaurants serving alcohol, and that installation of car stereo systems by a proposed store would disturb neighbors.

Smedra called Ward’s objections just an extension of “the ongoing campaign against us.”

“I would deny blocking anything,” replied Ward. “He is exhibiting such chutzpah coming in and asking for three restaurants.”

Zoning Administrator Robert Janovici said he would issue a written decision in 10 days. Both sides vowed to appeal the outcome if it is not to their liking.

The three restaurants--Kaktus, the Daily Grill and Louise’s Trattoria--have signed leases with Smedra and are in the process of applying for liquor licenses with the city’s Alcohol and Beverage Control Board.

The Daily Grill and Louisa’s would serve beer and wine, their managers told Janovici. Kaktus needs a hard-liquor permit, owner Richard Sneider said, because margaritas are “part of Mexican culture.”

Ira Handelman, a consultant to Smedra, called all three restaurants “first-class establishments” and told Janovici the shopping center would provide adequate parking.

But Ward said three alcohol-serving restaurants was too many for one shopping center.

Armed with a list of neighborhood restaurants and bars, she said there are already 30 restaurants with alcohol permits within a one-mile radius of Smedra’s shopping center, and more than 60 such establishments in Studio City.

“It’s just too much. And this doesn’t count the liquor stores in all the mini-malls,” Ward said.

She also objected to a conditional-use permit for The Good Guys, an audio-visual retail outlet that installs stereo systems in customers’ cars.

Handelman said the stereo installation would take place in an area of the shopping center’s underground garage, too far for residents to hear any equipment testing. He and Smedra also suggested that Ward’s objections were hypocritical because her group had attempted to save a busy gas station and carwash.

Ward and association board member Neil Finestone were the only residents to attend the afternoon hearing. Ward said the Studio City Residents Assn. represents the occupants of 1,300 homes.