SHERMAN OAKS : Fight Still Brewing Over Coffee House

A Sherman Oaks coffee house--the target of neighborhood rancor--on Monday was given a three-day extension to come up with a better plan to provide more off-street parking for its patrons, or perhaps face criminal charges.

“We were supposed to have full compliance by today’s (Monday) meeting,” said Jeff Miller, a city building and safety inspector. “Obviously that didn’t happen.”

But John Dunn, owner of the Insomnia Cafe, adamantly insisted that a plan was presented.

Miller said the cafe now has until Thursday to come up with a plan to provide 10 parking spaces for its patrons as well as fulfill other requirements of the Ventura Boulevard Specific Plan.

Miller said he met Monday morning with Dunn, along with Dunn’s attorney and representatives from the city Planning Department and city attorney’s office, to discuss what progress had been made since Dunn was ordered in February to provide the additional spaces.

“Not really anything has happened since then,” Miller said. “But we have to give them the benefit of the doubt.”

He added, however, “There comes a time when something has to be done.”

Miller said if Insomnia Cafe, 13718 Ventura Blvd., fails to deliver a plan Thursday that he will ask the city attorney to file criminal charges.

Dunn however, angrily denied Miller’s claim that he didn’t have a plan.

“We have a plan,” Dunn said following Monday’s meeting. “Jeff Miller needs to have his head examined.”

Dunn said his plan for “shared parking” will provide up to 30 additional spaces, but requires the approval of the city Department of Transportation, which he said could take weeks.