STUDIO CITY : MCA Postpones Hillside Garage Plan

Officials from MCA Inc. have postponed until September a bid to build a controversial 10-story Universal Studios parking garage on a scenic hillside in Studio City, a city planning official said Tuesday.

“The case is on hold at the request of MCA and the councilman from that district,” said city zoning analyst Jeff Pool. “It’s my understanding that MCA is going to meet with the homeowners groups in that area.” A hearing, in which MCA was expected to request permission to build the 1-million-square-foot structure in an area zoned as residential was set for Monday. The request for a delay was received last week.

MCA Development officers Lawrence Spungin and Jim Hescox declined comment on developments surrounding the garage, which is proposed for an area northeast of the Hollywood Freeway between Lankershim Boulevard and Universal City Drive, and would be used by employees of Universal Studios, an MCA subsidiary.

Renee Weitzer, planning deputy for Councilman John Ferraro, said the request for the delay was granted routinely.

Though Weitzer declined comment on the proposal, she said she does empathize with neighbors who have said they were not apprised of plans for the garage until the last minute.

“I actually told MCA that I thought they really made a major mistake. They should have been upfront and told everybody what it was going to be,” Weitzer said. “They’ve angered a lot of people--they didn’t tell us either.”

Opposition to the garage has been mounting among area residents since plans for the structure were tentatively approved by the environmental section of the Planning Department in April. Among the items slated for consideration Monday was a request by a Studio City residents association that a formal environmental review be done on the project.

But despite the postponement of the hearing, homeowners said MCA has yet to approach them on the project.

“I have no idea if they are planning to consult with us or not,” said Polly Ward, vice president of the Studio City Residents Assn. “We’re in a holding pattern, waiting to see what happens.”