Changes Drafted for Boulevard Plan

Los Angeles City Council planning deputies and a citizens panel overseeing the master plan for Ventura Boulevard are developing a counterproposal to the plan overhaul recently approved by the city Planning Commission.

In March, the commission approved changes to the Ventura Boulevard Specific Plan that reduced the developers’ share of the bill for improvements by 94%, from $125 million to $8 million.

The changes also included correction of a $74-million math error and provisions that developer fees could only be used for certain street widenings and a fraction of the new parking envisioned by the plan.

The City Council would have to approve any changes to the $222-million plan for boulevard improvements.

Some community leaders protested at the time that the proposed changes put key programs of the plan in jeopardy, such as parking lots and community shuttles. Under the Planning Commission’s proposal, those elements were to be paid through assessment districts.

The counterproposal is being drafted by planning aides to council members Laura Chick, Joel Wachs and Marvin Braude, and the Ventura Boulevard Specific Plan Review Board. Under their proposal, the budget would be similar to the commission’s proposed $77-million budget. However, developer fees would be increased to pay for additional parking and shuttles.

The board would also like the city to set aside $250,000 to pay for the costs of marketing the assessment district idea to businesses along the boulevard--in other words, persuading them to agree to pay fees for some street improvements.

The City Council’s Planning Committee is expected to review proposed changes to the plan late this month or in the first half of July.