Sherman Oaks : Announcement of Lot Opening Premature

City Councilman Michael Feuer this week thought he was the bearer of glad tidings regarding Sherman Oaks’ only public parking garage, but instead he inadvertently became the harbinger of gloom.

Tuesday, Feuer’s office announced that the parking lot at Cedros Avenue and Dickens Street, closed since July 11, 1994, would be reopening next spring. Thanks to efforts by the developer, the contractor and the city, the press release went on to state, “an early opening of a portion of the facility was arranged” for last Wednesday.

Trouble is, the reopening of the lot was hardly early. Community leader Jeff Brain said he remembers a time when the developer promised to finish the two-story garage--part of a larger senior housing project at the site--by Nov. 23, 1994.

Last October, Howard Katz--housing consultant for the developer, Sherman Oaks Community Housing Corp.--predicted the garage would be completed in mid-January.

As recently as this July, Katz had said the entire garage would probably be reopened in mid-August.

The parking lot is crucial to Ventura Boulevard merchants, who depend on it for customer parking.

“I think the developer needs to be criticized, not congratulated,” said Richard Close, president of the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Assn. “They promised it would be reopened in total by now. The city should be requiring that it definitely be opened prior to the holiday season.”

Repeated attempts to reach Katz were not successful. But Howard Gantman, Feuer’s assistant chief of staff, said Katz had told Feuer on Wednesday that the delays were due to requirements placed on the project by city agencies.

Friday, Gantman said Feuer now understands that the parking lot is opening later, not earlier, than community expectations. Gantman said the press release was based on representations made by the city Department of Transportation, which will be running the garage. The transportation department apparently was unaware of the history of community expectations regarding the parking structure, Gantman said.

Wednesday, 60 spaces in the garage were made available. The fate of the remaining 146 spaces is still up in the air.

“We’ve had assurances from Mr. Katz that the full structure will be open before the holiday season,” Gantman said. “We will do everything in our power to make sure those assurances are lived up to.”