STUDIO CITY : Meeting Scheduled on Ventura Blvd. Plans

Neon palm tree sculptures, bougainvillea-bedecked canopies and Art Deco street lights are featured in one of three proposals for re-landscaping Ventura Boulevard.

The proposals will be presented for public comment at a community meeting Wednesday at Osaka Sangyo University.

The meeting will be conducted by the Ventura Boulevard Specific Plan Review Board starting at 7 p.m. After a second community meeting, the citizens advisory committee will submit a recommended “streetscape” plan to the Los Angeles Planning Department.

The proposals were designed independently by three architects, who nonetheless said their ideas are somewhat complementary because they have chosen to focus on different aspects of the landscape plan.

Santa Monica architect Martin Gelber envisions an Art Deco look for the Studio City portion of the boulevard, a theme that would be carried through in new street lights, 30-foot-long shade canopies and building facades. Magenta-blossomed bougainvillea would festoon the canopies, which would be spaced at intervals along Ventura Boulevard. To highlight Studio City’s identity as a center for the movie industry, Gelber would erect 25-foot-tall neon palm tree sculptures near the intersection of Ventura and Laurel Canyon.

Studio City architect Andrew Sussman is championing the idea of dividing Studio City into five districts concentrating on retail, media, car dealerships, transportation and the studios. Each district would have a distinct look, he said. Sussman also favors encouraging businesses to place signs no higher than their building height. The architect will present his proposal for redoing Ventura Place--including diagonal parking and outdoor dining--which he drew up as a showcase for his ideas.

Under Studio City architect Simon Locke’s proposal, trees, canopies and awnings would be added to create shade for pedestrians. Locke would like to develop the sprawling parking lot at the northwest corner of Ventura and Laurel Canyon, possibly with a movie theater and increased parking.

“My long-term objective is converting the L.A. River from its current status as a drainage ditch into a cultural resource,” said Locke, who said he wants to add trees, shrubs and bike paths to the riverbank.