FOES OF PLAN ARGUE MORE MUST BE SAID.

Byline: Lee Condon Daily News Staff Writer

Opponents of the proposed expansion of Universal Studios are afraid their concerns about increased traffic and noise will be ignored if county planners vote today to end the current round of public hearings.

``They have made so many changes. They have a new set of noise regulations that we need to comment on. There are changes in the sign district and the transportation plan,'' said Paul Haje, who lives just south of Universal Studios.

Universal officials said the public hearings have gone on for over a year and it's time to close this phase of the debate.

``It's time. We are eager to move forward,'' said Helen McCann, the Universal vice president in charge of the expansion plan.

The two sides will face off today when the county's Regional Planning Commission has the option of closing the public hearing and ordering its staff to prepare a final environmental impact report for the project - a major step forward, according to Frank Meneses, a supervising regional planner for Los Angeles County.

The public will have the opportunity to comment again later in the process when the expansion goes before the Board of Supervisors and the Los Angeles City Council.

Universal has proposed adding 3.2 million square feet of office, production, retail and resort space at its 415-acre Cahuenga Park campus over the course of the next 15 years. The company expects the expansion to create 8,000 jobs.

Opponents argue that the studio made far-reaching changes in its plans last summer when it reduced the size of the project by 40 percent and that environmental studies should now be redone.

Jack Rubens, a lawyer representing the Toluca Lake Residents Association, said it's clearly premature to close the public hearing.

``They didn't look at any of the noise impacts that have been driving the community crazy for the last decade. The problem over the last 10 years is that the residents will call and say noise is out of control and there would be no response.''

In the past, the commission's attorney has advised that a delay is not required because the revised project is smaller and would cause fewer problems.

There will be no formal opportunity for public comment at today's meeting but opponents are expected to attempt to seek a delay.

Universal's McCann said Universal has complied with all the county's requests regarding the noise issue and has agreed to implement the recommendations of several consultants.

The process is far from over with both sides expecting it may take at least another year before the project receives final approval.

McCann said the company will continue to try and work with the community. ``We're at the beginning of this process,'' McCann said. ``We have a long way to go and we continue to have an open mind.''

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MAP: Universal Studios proposed expansion area

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