STUDIO CITY : Formal Study of New Parking Plan Urged

A group of Studio City residents who oppose a Universal Studios plan to build a new parking garage has requested a formal environmental review.

The garage is proposed for an area northeast of the Hollywood Freeway between Lankershim Boulevard and Universal City Drive.

The request was made by a Studio City residents group after the proposed 10-story parking garage won conditional approval from the environmental section of the planning department. The request, to the Los Angeles Planning Department, has been forwarded to a city zoning administrator for a hearing.

Members of the Studio City Residents Assn. say an environmental impact report is needed because the 3,000-car garage would mar the neighborhood, add to traffic problems and create noise.

“We think this thing is going to be a disaster,” said Tony Lucente, association president.

Residents also complained that the plan was tentatively approved by the environmental section of the planning department last month, but they were not notified until last Thursday.

“You don’t just come up with sophisticated architectural drawings overnight,” said Polly Ward, a member and former president of the Studio City Residents Assn. “My feeling about MCA is that they know full well how we feel about the height of buildings, particularly built on a hillside. I’m simply surprised that we weren’t informed.”

Universal Studios officials denied that the project was secret.

Speaking through a spokesman, Lawrence Spungin, president of MCA Development Co., said, “(We’ve) gone through all the proper channels at this point. . . . (We’ve) taken all the steps to let the homeowners know. (I) have nothing more to say.”

The spokesman, MCA publicist Kim Reed, said he was not familiar with the details of the project.