Readers React: Harvard-Westlake’s quest for 750 new parking spaces

To the editor: Your article on Harvard-Westlake School’s proposed 750-space parking structure and pedestrian bridge in Studio City barely addresses traffic congestion. (“Harvard-Westlake School’s plan for parking structure upsets neighbors,” Nov. 4)

Imagine 750 cars trying to pull into the parking structure in the morning and leaving in the afternoon. Those cars will also show up in the evening for athletic events — and all this on the already congested Coldwater Canyon Avenue.

The bridge also doesn’t get much ink in the article. The visual blight of a bridge across our beautiful canyon road would be a serious impairment of our quality of life.

Harvard-Westlake has 19 acres; if it really needs those parking spaces, why not build on the already developed parts of the campus? I can only hope that the Los Angeles City Council will listen to the people and not Harvard-Westlake’s money when the time comes to vote on this.

Elke Heitmeyer, Sherman Oaks

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To the editor: My daughters attended a Westside private school that didn’t have enough parking spaces.

Students couldn’t get parking permits until they were seniors and had to bring two verified daily student riders with them. An off-campus lot within walking distance was leased by the school to augment parking. Permits were issued first-come, first-serve; when the permits were gone, late-applying student drivers had to find another way to school.

How many common-sense solutions has Harvard-Westlake tried short of building a structure that would severely impact the neighborhood?

Bonnie Sloane, Los Angeles

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