STUDIO CITY : Outdoor Seating OKd for Mall Restaurants

A city zoning administrator Monday conditionally approved up to 2,120 square feet of outdoor seating in which alcohol may be served at three restaurants in a Studio City mini-mall.

In doing so, Zoning Administrator Albert Landini required the developer of Laurel Promenade mall to provide valet parking in the mall’s above-ground parking lot and to show “good faith” in making required landscaping improvements at the mall at the corner of Ventura and Laurel Canyon boulevards.

Tony Lucente, president of the Studio City Residents Assn., said he was pleased with the approval as long as developer Ira Smedra follows through on the improvements.

“We welcome quality restaurants, but this just proves that they have to meet requirements such as landscaping and parking to be successful,” he said.

The mall has been the site of several protests by residents angry that it was allowed to open before Smedra installed additional turn lanes at the congested intersection to accommodate increased traffic generated by the mall.

Those improvements are nearly complete now.

Tom Henry, planning deputy to City Councilman Joel Wachs, said the parking requirement was no surprise.

“Basically, they have to do what they initially were told to do by the city,” Henry said. “I think they’ll be able to change it around to accommodate things just fine.”