A NoHo Like SoHo Is Plan’s Goal : Revitalization: Arts community is gathering strong support for an artists-in-residence zone similar to the lower Manahattan enclave.

It’s already called NoHo by some in the arts community. But a proposal gaining momentum in North Hollywood could give the area more in common with the lower Manhattan artists’ enclave, SoHo, than just a name.

Still in the early stages of discussion, the “artists-in-residence zone” proposal, sponsored by a coalition of North Hollywood organizations and city of Los Angeles agencies, would designate an area of North Hollywood where artists could live and work in commercial buildings, with the goal of economic revitalization.

Thirty members of the North Hollywood Concerned Citizens group and the North Hollywood Project Area Committee voted unanimously Tuesday night in favor of creating a commercial arts-and-crafts district under a pedestrian-oriented city ordinance. The vote has no official effect but symbolizes united support for the idea within the community.

“Nobody’s going to be against it,” said Mildred Weller, a designer and member of the Project Area Committee, which advises the Community Redevelopment Agency on projects in North Hollywood. “Unless they’re against art.”

James Mahfet, executive vice president of the Universal City/North Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, said he has rarely seen such consensus on an issue.

“Oftentimes we’re on different ends of the spectrum,” Mahfet said of the community and civic organizations that represent the region. “With this, everything dissolves and we’re all on the same bandwagon.”

The area, which includes Lankershim Boulevard from Camarillo Street to Chandler Boulevard, and Magnolia Boulevard from Tujunga Avenue to Cahuenga Boulevard, has been targeted for artistic redevelopment by a coalition that includes the chamber, the city of Los Angeles’ Cultural Affairs Department, the Community Redevelopment Agency and local theater owners.

Under existing zoning laws, a conditional use permit is required if property zoned as commercial is put to residential use. Some of the vacant commercial buildings in North Hollywood could legally be rented to artists for living and work space, but the extensive paperwork and fees involved are often prohibitive.

A city ordinance that classifies commercial arts-and-crafts districts as pedestrian-oriented areas has been used to turn several clusters of buildings north and east of downtown into artists’ residences and studios. For an area of North Hollywood to be adopted as such a district, the proposal would have to meet the conditions of the ordinance, such as being larger than one city block and including at least 75% of the buildings in the area, as well as be approved by City Council.

Stan Goldstein, who at one time owned seven commercial buildings in North Hollywood, initiated the proposal after trying for five and a half years to rent a 5,600-square-foot building he owns on Lankershim Boulevard. He was approached by more than 20 artists who wanted to rent the building for studio and living space but could not afford the required permits. He has since sold all but two of the buildings and plans to move out of the area.

Supporters say the proposal would attract artists to the district, who, in turn, would attract pedestrians, bettering the area’s economy and decreasing crime at the same time.

Nancy Litwack, 51, owner of Survival Books, a specialty bookstore on Magnolia Boulevard, has lived in North Hollywood all of her life. She said the proposal holds promise for the struggling community.

“We are trying as merchants to turn this place around,” Litwack said. “The area really needs something to bolster it.”

The CRA is working to solidify the proposal, said Walter Beaumont, community affairs specialist for the CRA in North Hollywood. He said a minimum of 100 artists is considered necessary to create a viable community. With 2,000 square feet of work and living space per artist, he said, about 20 buildings would be included.

Fred Bower, a real estate agent for Monteleone and Associates, said the current commercial vacancy rate in the proposed area is between 10% and 15%. Bower said he receives several calls a day from artists looking to rent commercial spaces where they can live and work.

“Artists are struggling in this economy too” Bower said. “They can’t afford to get two venues in order to practice their art.”