WOODLAND HILLS : Board OKs Plan for Landscaped Plaza

As part of an effort to encourage pedestrian traffic along part of Ventura Boulevard, the Los Angeles Planning Commission on Thursday approved plans to build a landscaped plaza in front of a proposed mini-mall on the corner of Ventura and Canoga Avenue.

The project’s designers hope a 5,000-square-foot area with colored paving, benches, planters and, perhaps, a fountain will lure customers to the planned shopping center for more than just a quick stop for a single item.

“This will be a place for pedestrians to congregate and maybe get danish and a coffee, buy a newspaper or magazine and visit other shops,” said Tom Layman, architect for the project. “Most of the other centers around are the convenience type, where people don’t stay very long.”

Most of the 80,000-square-foot site has been unused since the Farrell’s ice cream shop closed during the 1980s. It will be replaced by a restaurant and, possibly, a flower shop, espresso bar and book shop, said developer Y.Y. Lin.

At its regular meeting in Van Nuys, the Planning Commission approved plans for the corner plaza, which is an exception to the area’s Specific Plan. The plan encourages pedestrian-friendly development. Construction is scheduled to begin as early as next month after the city’s Department of Transportation agrees on traffic control measures for the site.