Local merchants believe the public’s perception of
Westwood having little available parking and only a few retail
stores is driving many potential visitors elsewhere. As many retail
outlets leave Westwood and large, corporate chain stores favor more
popular and accessible shopping promenades like those of Santa
Monica and Century City, merchants worry the public will have even
less reason to come to Westwood. Los Angeles City Councilman Jack
Weiss, representing the Fifth District which includes Westwood,
held a meeting on Aug. 8 at the Westwood Hills Christian Church for
Westwood merchants to voice their grievances. Weiss said the
meeting’s sole purpose was to find a way to reinvigorate the
public’s interest in visiting Westwood, adding he has
“no other goal then seeing all of you flourish and
thrive.” But Westwood is not flourishing or thriving, and
many merchants are blaming the Business Improvement District
““ established seven years ago to revitalize area business
““ for the area’s stagnation. The greatest concern
expressed by the merchants was the lack of parking available in
Westwood ““ in particular free public parking. “We have
people who say “˜We can’t get there, it’s
impossible,'” said Marcus Rosner, owner of Morgan and
Co. Jewelers on Glendon Avenue. Many merchants told stories of
customers who said they will not or cannot shop in Westwood because
of the parking problem. Though Westwood does have parking, most of
the lots are private businesses and can charge according to demand,
creating rates most patrons are unwilling to pay. “We have a
lot of parking, but they (the private lots) are just
pirates,” said Leigh Slawner, manager of Madison’s Bar
and Grill. Though there is a public parking lot in Westwood,
located on Broxton Avenue adjacent to Madison’s, many
customers are either unaware of it entirely or do not know that it
offers one hour of free parking and is only $2 an hour after 6 p.m.
“The average person doesn’t know the lot is
there,” said Carol Madvig, co-owner with her husband Michael
of the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory on Broxton Avenue, adding,
“The other, privately owned lots gouge. They double the
prices during premiers.” Several merchants said their
businesses are hurt when private parking lots charging already
expensive rates raise them whenever they can. According to Sheldon
McArthur, manager of the Mystery Bookstore, only one-third of the
private lots participate in the validation program. McArthur also
said the lots charging the most exorbitant rates are those located
on Le Conte, Gayley and Weyburn avenues. “If there is a
specialty event of any kind, their rates go up by the hour as the
people come in,” McArthur said, adding that, “For the
“˜XXX’ premier, all of those lots raised their rates to
$20. McArthur added when 2000 presidential candidate Al Gore
visited Westwood the lots charged up to $50. Many of the merchants
also believe overzealous parking enforcement contributes to
Westwood’s negative public image. Ticket writers in Westwood
negatively affect business, said Clinton Schudy of Oakley’s
Barber Shop, Westwood’s oldest business. Several merchants
later told stories of parking enforcement officers who demonstrated
aggressive, if not belligerent attitudes. “The little meter
guy goes around giving everyone a hard time,” said Jill
Rosner, Marcus’ wife. Jill Rosner said she has been harassed
by parking enforcement. “I parked in the red zone to unload
supplies from my shop, but the meter man pulled up behind me and
wouldn’t move until I got in the car. He would follow me
around the block, all the way up Westwood Boulevard just to make
sure I didn’t try it again,” she said. Because of
inaccessibility and diminishing retail, many merchants said
shoppers only come to Westwood for one-stop,
“necessity” shopping. “Most people say they
won’t even come here unless they get a haircut,” Schudy
said. According to nearly all of the merchants attending the
meeting, Westwood has a bad image with its many vacant storefronts.
“It has this dead look to it,” Slawner said.
“Whenever I tell people we’re in Westwood,
they’re like, “˜Westwood? Why would you go to
Westwood?'” said Deborah Valentine, manager of the
Modern Book gallery.
Business improvement? Many merchants expressed dissatisfaction
with the current Business Improvement District, wanting the BID to
be more active by soliciting business and marketing Westwood as a
good place for business. The BID is financially supported by
Westwood merchants. “The BID hasn’t tried to encourage
business to move to Westwood,” McArthur said. But it is
difficult to encourage businesses to move to Westwood with its
chronic parking problems. Several merchants who recently moved to
Westwood also claimed doing so is difficult. “It is very
difficult for a new business to come in,” said Steven Brower,
co-owner of Damon and Pythias, adding “if there were anyway
to make the screening process easier, business would greatly
improve.” According to Jack Weiss, the BID has a 30-40
percent overhead, largely attributed to the salaries of its staff.
As many of the merchants expressed concern over how their money is
being spent, Weiss announced the BID will be undergoing an audit
conducted by the city of Los Angeles, which charters the BID.
“I’m going to get up close and kick the tires,”
Weiss said, later adding, “I want to get a clear
understanding of what the money has been spent on.” The BID
is up for renewal on Sept. 30.