2 New Improvement Districts Approved

The City Council on Wednesday approved two new business improvement districts in the San Fernando Valley, one along the Ventura Boulevard shopping strip in Tarzana and the other along Van Nuys Boulevard’s auto row.

“This is about creating an identity that’s different from strip commercial development,” said City Councilwoman Cindy Miscikowski.

The formation of a business improvement district allows the city to collect a tax assessment from businesses in certain areas to pay for a variety of services in that area.

The money can be used for added security, cleanup, trash pickup and beautification efforts including decorative bus benches, landscaping, lighting, facades or banners, the councilwoman said.

The Tarzana business improvement district extends along Ventura Boulevard from Burbank Boulevard to Reseda Boulevard.

The Van Nuys district--the “Cinderella business improvement district” Miscikowski called it--was put together in record time and with only $30,000 in seed money.

It will pay for improvements along the strip of auto malls on Van Nuys Boulevard.

Both areas succeeded in getting signatures from more than 50% of the owners of the properties to be assessed in the district.

Hearings will be held later this summer, with plans for the programs to be finalized sometime in the fall.