CANOGA PARK : Zoning Panel Gives Business Last Chance

In a rare move, a divided Board of Zoning Appeals Tuesday agreed to give a Canoga Park recycling center one more chance to make the business less of a nuisance, or be shut down by the city.

The four board members in attendance grimaced when presented with photos of debris and bins at the Universal Recycling Center at 20934 Sherman Way, which some neighbors say is causing noise, odors and crime in the neighborhood. But members also appeared hesitant to close down the center, noting the importance of recycling.

In the end, two members, Sherri Franklin and Marlene Grossman, said they favored granting the center permission to continue operating for one year, provided 31 restrictive conditions were observed, while members Valeria Velasco and Ilene Olansky sympathized with angry neighbors and said the center should close.

Board members compromised by giving Universal Recycling until June 22 to present a plan to reconfigure its bins and shrink the business. The Board of Zoning Appeals rarely continues hearings; traditionally decisions are made immediately after testimony, Velasco said.

Arthur Sweet, a tenant in the office building next door to the center who appealed a conditional use permit granted to the center, told board members that noise and rodents were driving out other businesses in the area.

But the board appeared swayed by the popularity of the center, which Associate Zoning Administrator Jon Perica said recycles about 319,000 tons of cans and 925,000 tons of glass per year.

“I feel very strongly about recycling. I’d like to see what can be done with this site. I’d like to give it a chance,” said board member Grossman.