CALABASAS : School, City Settle Marquee Dispute

Calabasas High School has won its battle with the city over the school’s refusal to obtain a permit for a marquee that was installed in front of the school last spring.

The city has agreed not to challenge Las Virgenes Unified School District’s contention that, by law, educational programs are exempt from city ordinances, city and school officials said Thursday.

“I’m certainly glad that it was resolved,” said Donald Zimring, the district’s assistant superintendent of business. “We (usually) have excellent relations between our staff and the city, and unfortunately, I think this evolved into something else.”

The issue arose after the Calabasas Planning Commission, some residents and members of the City Council expressed concerns about the brightness of the marquee, which replaced an old, unlighted version, said Toby Keeler, a member of the Planning Commission.

“When they first lit the thing, it was like the sun coming up over the school,” said Keeler.

Keeler said he personally believes that the brightly lighted sign went against the spirit of the Mulholland Highway Scenic Corridor, one of four such corridors set up in the city to preserve the area’s scenic beauty.

Zimring said the district has never received any complaints. In fact, he said, many Calabasas residents approved of the new marquee. He said the old one, installed when the school was built in 1976, was farther back from the road than the new sign, was not lighted and could not be seen from the road.

Calabasas City Manager Charles Cate tried to resolve the issue informally with the district, according to Calabasas Mayor Karyn Foley. The district, she said, agreed to reduce the marquee’s wattage and hours of operation.

However, the issue arose again later, according to Keeler, after city officials visited the area and discovered that the school, while adding spaces to the student parking lot, had trimmed an oak tree without getting a city permit.

“People said to them, ‘Hey, what’s going on here?’ ” said Keeler. “I mean, we have one of the strictest oak tree ordinances in the country.”

“We were wrong and we admit it,” Zimring said. “An employee trimmed an oak tree without realizing that we needed a permit.”

The city and the school district became involved in a heated debate over the matter, exchanging angry words and letters, according to city officials.

Keeler and the others say they hope that the matter has been resolved and that there will be no hard feelings.

“I think this is just something that was blown out of proportion,” Keeler said.