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Foes Criticize Sherman Oaks Traffic Solution

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TIMES STAFF WRITER

For years Sherman Oaks residents have clamored for a solution to the area’s parking and traffic problems.

The city of Los Angeles and a nonprofit organization have offered a solution--but many residents don’t like it.

The Jewish Federation Council, with backing from Mayor Tom Bradley and Councilman Zev Yaroslavsky, plans to build an 83-unit apartment complex for low-income senior citizens on top of a two-story, 208-space public parking structure. The structure would replace a 142-space parking lot immediately south of a strip of stores along Ventura Boulevard.

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But at a public hearing Tuesday before three hearing examiners, a dozen residents said the project, which includes an additional 41 parking spaces for residents of the complex, would make already heavy traffic even worse and still not solve the parking problems.

The current ground-level lot, located at the corner of Dickens Street and Cedros Avenue, is easy to spot and use, residents said. Motorists will be reluctant to use an indoor lot and instead will park along surface streets, they said.

Fifty people attended the hearing and most complained about the project. Many speakers were in their 60s but said the city has to balance the need for senior housing with the rights of current residents. “I’m a senior citizen,” longtime resident Naomi Mizrahi said. “Where are my rights?”

Ted Senet, a 27-year Sherman Oaks resident, was one of a handful of people who supported the project, saying it was “sad, moral bankruptcy” to oppose housing for poor senior citizens.

Marlene Bronson, a Yaroslavsky aide, said the project would provide extra neighborhood parking while giving needy citizens shelter. Tenants would have to be at least 62 years old. Individuals would have to receive income of less than $14,000 a year. The maximum income for a couple would be $16,000 annually.

Although residents complained that 41 parking spaces would be insufficient, Howard Katz, the Jewish Federation’s attorney, said experience at similar complexes built by the organization has shown that many tenants cannot afford cars.

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The complex is being proposed by the Menorah Housing Foundation, an affiliate of the Jewish Federation. Last year, the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development approved the federation’s request for a $6-million loan to build the project, Katz said.

Apartment residents would pay 30% of their income toward rent, with the remainder covered by the federal government. Monthly rents for the apartments will range from $700 to $800, said Katz, who is the husband of Alisa Katz, Yaroslavsky’s chief deputy.

The federation is seeking a zoning change, variance and permission to build 24 more apartment units on the site than allowed under city code. The hearing examiners will forward recommendations on the requests to the city Planning Commission.

Some residents testifying against the complex questioned whether senior citizens would feel comfortable living so close to a trendy retail strip. “That’s not for senior citizens,” said Bunny Wilk, who lives nearby. “That’s for yuppies to shop there.”

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