By Robert Salonga
DAILY BRUIN SENIOR STAFF
[email protected]
The availability of parking in Westwood has been a longtime
concern for both residents and patrons, and it will be at the
forefront of merchants’ concerns when they meet with their
local councilman this week.
On August 8 City Councilman Jack Weiss ““ whose Fifth
District includes UCLA and Westwood ““ will speak with various
merchants and members of the Westwood Business Improvement
District, established seven years ago by business owners to
increase consumer spending and attract retailers to the area.
The BID is up for renewal, set to expire on Sept. 30.
BID members and retailers agreed that parking ““ more
notably the lack of subsidized parking ““ is a chronic problem
in Westwood, with many parking lots not participating in area
validation programs.
Coupled with departing retailers, most recently sun-wear
retailer Beyond the Beach, the parking situation has caused
shoppers to patronize areas with better parking programs such as
Century City Plaza and Third Street Promenade.
“(Westwood) is one of the hardest and most expensive areas
to park,” said Clinton Schudy, manager of Oakley’s
Barber Shop, the oldest business in Westwood, whose opening in 1929
coincided with the building of UCLA’s Royce Quad.
“There has been a vast decline in retail and clientele
coming to the area, all in part due to parking,” Schudy
said.
BID members said Los Angeles has to help Westwood if it wants to
alleviate its parking problems.
“The city has to come to the plate and help us find and
get more parking,” said BID Chairman Frank Ponder, who has
worked as manager of Bel-Air Camera for 30 years.
“L.A. has a history of not being retail friendly, which is
why we had to form the BID,” Ponder added.
Weiss’ office could not be reached for comment Friday
afternoon.
Ponder also refutes any claims Westwood has become a retail
wasteland.
“The streets are full of people. Anyone who says
it’s a ghost town doesn’t know what a ghost town looks
like,” he said.
But other merchants said any progress Westwood enjoys is not
necessarily the work of the BID.
“Westwood has come a long way in the past few years, but
I’m not sure if the BID had anything to do with it,”
said Phil Gabriel, owner of hospital uniform retailer Scrubs
Unlimited and Westwood resident. Gabriel is secretary of the
BID.
“I think the BID has to be way more proactive and people
want to see results now,” he said.
Gabriel agreed with Ponder in saying unless a substantial amount
of parking is controlled ““ by the city, for instance ““
lots “will charge what they want to charge.”
Councilman Weiss will meet with Westwood merchants on Thursday,
Aug. 8 at 3:30 p.m. at the Gardens on Glendon, 1139 Glendon
Ave.