CITY PLANNERS HAND A REPRIEVE TO BOULEVARD CARWASH FOR SIGN.Byline: Robert Monroe Staff Writer The giant hand stays - at least for now. The owner of Studio City Hand Car Wash won the right Thursday to keep a 26-foot-tall sign in front of his Ventura Boulevard Ventura Boulevard is one of the primary east-west thouroughfares in the San Fernando Valley; as it was originally a part of the El Camino Real (the trail between Spanish missions), Ventura Boulevard is the oldest route in the San Fernando Valley. It was also U.S. business after he argued it is an icon in the grand style of Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. advertising art. The Los Angeles Planning Commission Noun 1. planning commission - a commission delegated to propose plans for future activities and developments commission, committee - a special group delegated to consider some matter; "a committee is a group that keeps minutes and loses hours" - Milton Berle voted unanimously that Ben Forat had a legitimate claim to exemptions from city regulations governing the size of signs. ``Victory! Democracy prevailed,'' said Forat, who admitted he was surprised by the panel's vote. The decision ends at least temporarily the battle Forat has waged in the halls of city government since May, five months after he first erected the sign - a giant hand holding a sponge atop which rests a replica 1957 Corvette corvette, small warship, classed between a frigate and a sloop-of-war. Corvettes usually were flush-decked and carried fewer than 28 guns. They were widely employed in escorting convoys and attacking merchant ships during the great naval wars of the late 18th and . Now residents who oppose the sign have 15 days to appeal to the City Council. They plan to. ``The problem we have with it is it opens the door to let any business on Ventura Boulevard to do anything they want to do without regard to the specific plan. Believe me you're going to see a lot of it,'' said Polly Ward, vice president of the Studio City Residents Association. The city Planning city planning, process of planning for the improvement of urban centers in order to provide healthy and safe living conditions, efficient transport and communication, adequate public facilities, and aesthetic surroundings. Department had recommended denial of Forat's claim to an exemption to the specific plan governing businesses on Ventura Boulevard, saying he only met two out of five criteria necessary for the granting of one. The criteria cover the location of the carwash, the size of buildings next to it that could obscure views of it by passing motorists, its setback from the street, its distance from an intersection and the hardship the sign's removal would create for the owner. Forat persuaded the Planning Commission that he met all the criteria. He has maintained that loss of the sign would mean loss of employment for the carwash's staff of 30. He noted that other businesses with oversized o·ver·size n. 1. A size that is larger than usual. 2. An oversize article or object. adj. o·ver·size also o·ver·sized Larger in size than usual or necessary. signs, such as the giant doughnut atop Randy's Donuts Randy's Donuts is a landmark building in Inglewood, California near Los Angeles International Airport that dates back to a period during the mid-20th Century that saw a proliferation of programmatic architecturely designed buildings throughout Southern California that were made in in Inglewood, have become Los Angeles area landmarks regardless of compliance with municipal codes. Commissioner Bob Scott
``I don't see us as arbiters of public taste, but it generally falls into the category of public art whether you like it or not,'' he said. The hearing examiner An employee of an Administrative Agency who is charged with conducting adjudicative proceedings on matters within the scope of the jurisdiction of the agency. who brought the denial recommendation before the commission said the planning department will support the decision. ``This is the due process and the specific plan exemption process is in the code just for this reason,'' said Bob Duenas. Forat and his employees celebrated the decision with champagne and balloons Thursday afternoon. ``Now it's time It's Time was a successful political campaign run by the Australian Labor Party (ALP) under Gough Whitlam at the 1972 election in Australia. Campaigning on the perceived need for change after 23 years of conservative (Liberal Party of Australia) government, Labor put forward a to move on and ask God to better the business,'' Forat said. ``There is a God out there. Sometimes he's late, but he does come around.'' CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: Studio City Car Wash owner Ben Forat will be allowed to keep this 26-foot-tall sign per a Planning Commission decision Thursday. Charlotte Schmid-Maybach |
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