Homeowners, Officials Get Close-Up Look at MCA Plans

Several dozen homeowners, business leaders and planning officials toured Universal Studios Tuesday in a show-and-tell session for MCA’s proposed 25-year, $2-billion expansion project.

The two-hour tour--which began at CityWalk, wound its way through the back lots and sound studios before ending amid the flames and high decibels of the Waterworld attraction--was designed to give members of the Los Angeles Regional Planning Commission the lay of the land.

But it also offered those in attendance, including several vocal opponents, their first opportunity to visualize the changes that could come with MCA’s proposal to build an additional 5.9 million square feet, including a cluster of resort hotels as well as sound studios, offices, parking lots and storage facilities.

The expansion project would add 13,000 jobs and increase state tax revenues by $25 million per year, Universal Studios has said.

Some neighbors, such as Lisa Howard, who lives across the street, seemed pleased with the morning excursion. “I came away feeling more informed,” said Howard, who favors the expansion but expressed concern over noise and traffic. “It helped point out areas where they are going to put things.”

Not everyone, however, sounded so satisfied. “I have a better idea of where the buildings may go,” said Joan Luchs, a nearby resident and board member of the North Hollywood Residents Assn. “But I still have no information about how [the company] will mitigate the impacts.”

In all, about 45 people, including 10 planning commissioners representing the city and the county, rode the silver and blue trams, which typically shuttle tourists around the property. A highlight was swinging by a Steven Spielberg film in progress, “La Amistad,” the story of a slave mutiny en route to America through Puerto Rico.

Universal officials said the session was not intended as a public hearing or an opportunity to give testimony.

“The county regional planning commissioner and the city hearing examiner are holding a series of hearings for consideration of the Universal City proposed plan,” said Helen McCann, vice president in charge of Universal’s master plan. “As part of this hearing [process], every comment will be responded to.”

The next public hearing is scheduled for 3 p.m. March 3 at the Sheraton Universal Studios.