VAN NUYS : Wachs Presses for Metrolink Car Lot

Los Angeles City Councilman Joel Wachs urged city officials Tuesday to expedite land purchase negotiations with the city’s Department of Water and Power to expand a parking lot at a Metrolink station in Van Nuys.

The Van Nuys stop on Van Nuys Boulevard near the closed General Motors plant has parking for about 90 cars. But the Southern California Rail Authority, which will operate Metrolink commuter trains beginning Monday, requires each stop to have at least 300 cars. The stop is now used for Amtrak trains.

City transportation officials have been negotiating to purchase adjacent land used by the DWP to store electrical transformers. DWP officials have said they will not give up the land unless the city can give them an equal-size parcel in exchange.

In a motion supported by Councilman Marvin Braude, Wachs called for the property to be purchased with money raised by Proposition C, a half-cent sales tax adopted by voters in 1990. The council did not vote on the motion but referred it to the council’s transportation committee, which will discuss the issue next month.