SHERMAN OAKS : Suit Planned Over Redevelopment Area

The Sherman Oaks Homeowners Assn. will file a lawsuit against the city of Los Angeles challenging the legality of an emergency redevelopment area recently created in the upscale community, a homeowner activist said Tuesday.

Matt Epstein, co-chairman of the group’s CRA Study Committee, said the association plans to file the lawsuit, which also seeks a temporary restraining order on establishment of the redevelopment area, in the next few days.

In November, the City Council approved creation of the zone, which is expected to raise funds to rehabilitate earthquake-damaged homes and businesses. The plan was opposed by the homeowners group, which said it did not want the Community Redevelopment Agency, which it viewed with suspicion, to make development decisions in the community.

Epstein declined to give further details on the suit, but said its filing will be announced at the association’s monthly meeting Jan. 18. The meeting will be at 8 p.m. at Union Federal Bank, 13300 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks.

Also on the agenda will be a controversial proposed renovation of the Sherman Oaks Galleria shopping mall and an adjacent building, which would replace retail and office space with a reported 17 additional movie screens, restaurants and entertainment facilities.

“There is a lot of concern from residents around the Galleria about the effects of this proposal, because they don’t want to turn it into a CityWalk type of facility,” association President Richard Close said, referring to the Universal City attraction. “People are concerned that there have been a lot of problems with CityWalk, with fighting and gangs, and that’s not what we want for Sherman Oaks.”

Close said representatives from the mall will be at the meeting to answer questions about the project. The Sherman Oaks group and the Homeowners of Encino in recent weeks have sent flyers decrying the project to 3,500 residents, according to Gerald Silver, president of the Encino group.