STUDIO CITY : Residents Win Fight to Block Street Lights

Studio City residents who successfully blocked unwanted street lights from being installed on their street said Tuesday that they have learned an object lesson about what it takes to fight City Hall.

Currently, without a City Council representative to fight their battles, the residents said they learned that they had to rely more on themselves. “I feel empowered,” said John Glass with a smile.

Glass and his neighbors, who live on Wilkinson Avenue between Valleyheart Drive and Moorpark Street, had something to grin about. On Tuesday, the City Council decided to drop its plans to install street lights on Wilkinson after residents ardently protested the idea.

Fifty-four households, a majority of Wilkinson Avenue residents, signed a petition against the lights, which would have been paid for through fees charged to the homeowners.

Residents said the area is already well-lit from houses’ front porch lights and that bright street lights would destroy the small-town charm of their woodsy neighborhood. They also balked at the high cost of the lights.

The residents took it upon themselves to circulate the petition after realizing that they did not have a council member to bend the council’s ear on their behalf. Council District 5 has been run by a caretaker bureaucrat since Zev Yaroslavsky left the office in early December to become a Los Angeles County supervisor.

“It’s nice to know you can do it,” said resident Barbara Blue.

Glass also appealed for help to City Council member Richard Alarcon, chairman of the council’s Public Works Committee, who proposed abandoning the lighting district.

The city Department of Public Works had recommended installing the lights to provide better illumination for cars and pedestrians, and to deter crime. The $224,000 tab was to have been picked up by residents, most of whom would be charged $2,600 for installation and additional fees for maintenance.

The idea for the lights originated in 1989, ironically from the street’s residents, many of whom have apparently had a change of address or of heart since then. At that time, 57 residents had signed a petition asking for the street lights, which they were told would cost them about $2,400 apiece.

Whatever happened in the intervening years, residents today said they are pleased that they were able to persuade the council to see the light.