Councilman Tom LaBonge Sees Studio City From the Streets

Tom LaBonge excuses himself in a private discussion for a moment, and picks up the phone to dial someone rather urgently.

"Yeah, there are palm fronds on Ventura Boulevard, and they're creating a nuisances, can you pick them up? No, now!"

LaBonge has a few people whom he can call to help with neighborhood concerns—even if it is as simple as picking up some debris from a tree.

"It's a great neighborhood Studio City is, but the challenges are traffic and keeping the roads clear," said LaBonge. "The public safety is the first concern."

LaBonge represents District 4  on the Los Angeles City Council, a diverse district that comprises Koreatown, the Farmer's Market in the Fairfax district, Silver Lake, the Hollywood Sign, Universal Studios and the part of Studio City from the Cahuenga Pass and Toluca Lake up to Mulholland Drive.

With the Hollywood Bowl, Universal Amphitheatre, Grauman's Chinese Theatre, the L.A. Zoo, Griffith Observatory, Greek Theatre, John Anson Ford Theater and Kodak Theatre in his district, LaBonge's district represents every reason that traffic would be backed up for the people of Studio City on any given day.

"We don't live in Mayberry, but there are nice neighborhoods," LaBonge said. "But because of the traffic, people don't want to leave their houses. Studio City is nice up on the hills, but people shouldn't be afraid to come down."

A biking advocate and a guy who hikes Griffith Park every day before he comes to work at City Hall, LaBonge, 56, is healthy and a longtime advocate for bike trails.

"I'm amazed at his energy, he is tireless," said Stephanie Mar, LaBonge's communications deputy. 

LaBonge wants to see bike paths along the Los Angeles River and up through Studio City and has worked for years with the Studio City Residents Association toward that goal.

 president of the Studio City Residents Association, said he is delighted that LaBonge is so concerned with the Los Angeles River and bike paths in Studio City. "He really gets it, and he is a great politician to work with," Dymond said. "He is responsive to us, and really is concerned about trying to promote nice bike paths through the city."

One of those corridors will certainly be along the river, and provide a safer way to get around town.

"People should learn different ways of transportation," LaBonge said in a recent meeting with Patch. "If they're going to Sherman Oaks from Studio City, they should ride a bike. And, yes, a bikeway along the river would be a lovely thing. It is our duty to come up with an alternative way of travel."

LaBonge took over the district after the death of his longtime mentor, John Ferraro, in 2001 and has been reelected into the position. The lobby of his office is decorated with photos of him with the legendary Valley activist who represented the district for 35 years.

LaBonge calls himself a cheerleader for Los Angeles, and he invites people to look at the positives of the area. Sure, Universal Studios is a big development for Studio City residents, and its proposed expansion could be even more of a hassle. But, LaBonge pointed out, "Universal was around 100 years ago and will be around 100 years from now. They will have jobs in production, and we want to keep more of those jobs here in the area."

The smaller CBS Radford Studios in the heart of Studio City is "one of the most accessible and beautiful backlots I've ever been on, and I've seen all of them."

LaBonge agrees with many of the homeowners in the Studio City area about limiting the size of the houses up on the hills. "There are some places up in those hills that are as big as studios themselves," LaBonge said. "It looks ridiculous, and that kind of development must stop."

He added: "If you want to live in Studio City, you have to have the right guide, and you have to conform to the contour of the hillside. Some of those houses up there are like big sound stages."

LaBonge said that architects can have creative designs that still allow for big houses in the hills, but they have to conform to the neighborhoods.

"Sure, there will be developers who will try to squeeze every inch of size out of a plan, but we have to have community standards and stick to them," said the councilman.

With that, LaBonge excused himself to greet two constituents who dropped by at his office to say "Hi" and he went to see what he could do to help them.