Chamber Asks to Blockade Ventura Blvd. for Street Fair : Sherman Oaks: The business group hopes to raise funds with a community get-together. But some area residents worry about disruptions.

A Sherman Oaks group wants to hold a street fair that would block off part of Ventura Boulevard for 14 hours--the first such closure of the busy thoroughfare in recent memory.

The Sherman Oaks Chamber of Commerce has requested that the Los Angeles City Council approve the apparently unprecedented idea of shutting down a two-block stretch of the boulevard, known as the Valley’s “main street,” on Sunday, Oct. 20.

“This would be the first time we’ve had a closure of Ventura Boulevard to my knowledge,” said Jim Washington, chief street-use inspector for the city Department of Public Works. “It’s a first-time event.”

The fair--complete with a petting zoo, crafts booths and musical performances--would be held between Van Nuys Boulevard and Cedros Avenue. A carnival with rides and games also would begin Oct. 18 and run through the weekend in a city parking lot at the corner of Dickens Street and Cedros.

The Sherman Oaks Street Fair and Carnival is expected to draw about 15,000 people, raising funds for the chamber and four elementary schools, chamber President Jeff Brain said. “It’s mainly to promote the whole community and bring the community together,” said Brain, who added that the project has generated a groundswell of support from homeowners, businesses and school groups.

But the fair has also raised a red flag for some Valley residents concerned that the road closure might compound already severe problems with parking and traffic.

“It could be a nightmare,” said Richard Close, president of the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Assn. “Not only will it impact Sherman Oaks adversely, but anyone who tries to use the boulevard will find it a mess.”

Close also wrote a letter to Councilman Zev Yaroslavsky, who represents Sherman Oaks, questioning whether event organizers have planned enough parking, restrooms and security.

Yaroslavsky is reviewing the proposal and the concerns of residents, spokeswoman Katharine Macdonald said.

Chamber President Brain said traffic could be diverted smoothly onto side streets with the help of traffic-enforcement officers and barricades.

In addition, he said, security would be provided by the Los Angeles Police Department and two private security firms. He was unsure how many officers would be assigned.

Restaurants and shops along the boulevard are making their restrooms available for public use. And businesses have offered 500 parking spaces to handle the crowds and make up for closing the 77-space city parking lot, Brain said.

The event could bring a profit of $15,000 to $20,000, Brain said.

The proceeds will be split, with 49% going to the chamber and the rest to four elementary schools. At least two parent-teacher organizations already are discussing how the money might be used to buy supplies, officers for those groups said.

Ventura Boulevard has been shut down for shorter events, such as a Studio City 10K run in 1989, officials said. Emergencies such as the rupture of a water main earlier this year have occasionally forced motorists to abandon the heavily traveled road.

However, city officials said they could find no record of a daylong closure such as the one proposed for Sherman Oaks.

The Department of Public Works is researching how the closure would affect parking and traffic. The public works board will vote on the issue and make a recommendation to the City Council.

Three agencies affected by the closure--Police Department, Fire Department and the RTD--have been notified of the proposal and approved it, Washington said. The city Department of Transportation is still reviewing the plan, said transit engineer Al Abaisa.