Sale of Lot for Public Storage Facility Nears

A Utah-based company is close to purchasing a vacant lot at Ventura Boulevard and Blue Canyon Drive as the site for a 33,000-square-foot public storage facility.

Extraspace Storage of Salt Lake City is in escrow with the property owner, and company officials expect to close the deal next month. Construction could begin within a year, said Bruce Kaufman, a partner in the company.

“Studio City is a great location for us,” Kaufman said. “Generally, there is a real need for this kind of service in the Studio City-Toluca Lake area.”

Kaufman presented his plan Tuesday to community organizations and representatives from Councilman Joel Wachs’ office. “We’re very happy with it,” said Polly Ward, vice president of the Studio City Residents Assn. “We know a business has to go there and this one is the best we’ve seen so far.”

The project calls for construction of a three-story building consisting of various garage spaces.

The work would require a few variances from the city Planning Commission, including one to allow the business to operate with two less parking spaces than the number required in the Ventura Boulevard Specific Plan. Other variances involve a change in landscaping regulations and an increase in the maximum allowable building size, Kaufman said.

Extraspace’s interest comes just weeks after the property owner, Parviz Ebrahimian, scrapped a plan to build a mini-mall on the property after the City Council denied a crucial parking variance. Ebrahimian’s plan fell far short of the number of parking spaces required for a mini-mall under the Ventura Boulevard Specific Plan.

Retaining walls built for a now-defunct project surround the sloping property at 11570 Ventura Blvd., just south of the Los Angeles River.

Extraspace owns six sites in Southern California and has several others under construction, Kaufman said.