VAN NUYS : Courthouse Parking Structure Reopened

Five weeks of parking nightmares for prosecutors, public defenders and jurors will end today when the four-story structure serving the two Van Nuys courthouses is reopened.

“We’ve got our parking lot back, that’s the order of the day,” said Richard D. Johnson, chief of valley court operations.

The 1,200-space parking lot was red-tagged the night of Jan. 31, two weeks after the devastating Northridge earthquake. The closure shocked those who used the lot at Sylmar Avenue and Delano Street because the building was declared safe two days after the quake.

Numerous aftershocks had caused additional damage, including sheared bolts, prompting officials to close the structure and order retrofitting. That job was completed over the weekend.

Since the closure, those who work in the courts or serve on juries scrambled for a limited amount of parking in the area.

City officials provided some relief when an unofficial parking ticket moratorium was declared, allowing people to park at expired meters and in red zones for much of February.

The county also provided shuttle service to a satellite parking lot at Sherman Way and Van Nuys Boulevard, although most employees begged, borrowed and paid for closer parking.

Judges, on the other hand, fared better, with most parking right next to their buildings.