Sherman Oaks : Signs Planned to Point Way to Parking Lot

Community leaders are complaining that the only public parking lot in Sherman Oaks remains a mystery to most people.

The parking lot, on the corner of Dickens Street and Cedros Avenue, is on the first floor of a building that is under construction. On Sept. 13, part of the parking lot was reopened, making 60 metered parking spaces available. The lot had been closed for more than a year. But the scaffolding-shrouded entrance to the lot on Cedros gave no clue that parking was available within. No signs have been posted letting people know that they can park there.

“Without a sign, no one’s going to know that you can go in there,” said Richard Close, president of the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Assn.

Alice Lepis, principal transportation engineer with the city Bureau of Parking Management, said Friday that the bureau will try to install pole signs near the entrance of the parking structure in the coming week. It will take longer to get a banner sign, she said, explaining that the city must take a number of steps when purchasing an expensive piece of equipment. The banner sign will cost between $1,000 and $2,500, she said.