Carwash Owner to End Fight to Keep Sign

After losing his court battle to keep his behemoth Studio City carwash sign as is, owner Ben Forat is throwing in the sponge.

“I don’t want to appeal it anymore. I just want to move on,” Forat said Tuesday. “It’s just not worth it.”

Last week, a judge upheld Los Angeles city officials who decided that Forat’s display--a giant fiberglass hand clutching a yellow sponge emblazoned with the words “Studio City Hand Car Wash” with a replica of a hot pink Corvette on top--should be reduced in size and moved farther back from the street.

Although Forat had vowed to take his fight to appellate court, he reconsidered and will make the 26-foot-tall sign, which had been erected without a permit, conform to the law.

Forat’s announcement was applauded by homeowners and city officials, who said they hoped the two-year brouhaha over the sign finally will come to an amicable end.

“We’re about to have real closure in this episode,” said Dale Thrush, planning deputy for City Councilman Joel Wachs. “That’s very good for Mr. Forat and the community.”

Forat put up the quirky sign in the 11500 block of Ventura Boulevard two years ago to attract more customers. Business soon tripled, he said.

But the sign also drew the wrath of leaders of area homeowner associations, who didn’t like how it stood 6 feet higher and jutted out 8 1/2 feet closer to the street than allowed by law.

“If he could [put up an illegal sign], then I could put a granny apartment over my garage and a wicked witch of the west on top of my house,” said Polly Ward, vice president of Studio City Homeowners Assn. “I don’t think the neighbors would like that.”

The aesthetic appeal of the sign had nothing to do with the association’s stance, Ward said, adding that some people in her organization liked the distinctive display while others found it repugnant.

“I don’t dislike it. It’s just not according to the law,” Ward said. “It’s so big it distracts. For safety reasons, it’s supposed be [farther] back from the curb.”

Forat estimated the changes will cost about $26,000. He said he has paid an engineer $4,000 to draw up plans. It will take up to a couple of months to change the sign, in part because the 88-square-foot fiberglass sponge will be replaced with a 50-square-foot one and a new hole for the sign will be dug farther from the street.

Forat still faces misdemeanor charges of erecting an illegal sign and failing to comply with a city building and safety order, which carry a maximum punishment of a year in County Jail and $2,000 in fines. A prosecutor with the city attorney’s office, who hadn’t spoken with Forat, said that because the illegal sign still stands, the criminal case against him will proceed.

“Whatever the law wants me to do, I’ll do. I’ll lick my wounds and walk away,” Forat said. “This had become a political war. . . . I’m not going to win this. Why beat a dead horse?”