2 Chambers to Hear LAX Expansion Plan

While Studio City, Sherman Oaks and the Los Angeles International Airport are . . . well . . . a whole city apart, the growth of the massive airport can directly affect commerce in the southeast Valley, according to an official with the Studio City Chamber of Commerce.

To examine the interplay between LAX and Valley businesses, the Studio City and Sherman Oaks chambers are hosting a luncheon Thursday in which consultant Tyler Zabriskie will explain the options for growth presented in the LAX Master Plan, a 20-year blueprint for expansion.

Sondra Frohlich, the Studio City chamber’s executive director, estimates that about half of the community’s businesses depend on air travel to keep afloat.

“Studio City has a great many boutiques, and they don’t manufacture their own goods to sell,” she said “So, the things that are manufactured, for example, in the Ozarks, have to get here by air or by truck to be reasonably priced.”

Sherman Oaks and Studio City cafes also rely heavily on out-of-towners for business, she added.

“The Master Plan affects us with potential improvements to runways, the addition of more runways and the expansion of terminal facilities,” she said. “That all affects the ability to do business in Los Angeles.”

Thursday’s luncheon, which will begin at 11:45 a.m. at the Sportsmen’s Lodge, 12833 Ventura Blvd. in Studio City, costs $15.

For information, call the Sherman Oaks chamber at (818) 906-1951 or the Studio City chamber at (818) 769-3213.