Meeting Planned on Improvement District

The establishment of a property owner-based business improvement district for the Ventura Boulevard corridor in Woodland Hills will be discussed at a community meeting Wednesday hosted by the Woodland Hills, Ventura Boulevard Improvement Assn.

The meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. at Kaiser Permanente, 5601 De Soto Ave., through entrance 5 in Auditorium B.

The idea for the property owner-based district, called a PBID, grew out of the development of a comprehensive street-scape plan for the Ventura Boulevard corridor between Corbin Avenue and Valley Circle Boulevard.

The street-scape plan, one of five being created for the boulevard, was approved by the planning commission this spring. It will be used by developers and landowners to determine the design elements allowed in construction and remodeling.

Now some community members involved in the creation of the street-scape plan have turned their attention to ways to fund the improvements outlined within for existing businesses.

“We’re exposing the broader ownership along the boulevard, not only to the street-scape plan, but to what a business improvement district is and what role they play in it,” said Brad Rosenheim, the association’s community affairs consultant.

Property owners along the boulevard will get votes on the PBID, based on their properties’ assessed value. A majority vote is required to take the plan to the City Council for final approval.

Organizers said the goal of the meeting is to give them a voice in how much should be assessed, how the money is spent and who is made responsible for the administration of the district.

“Ultimately we want them to have a say in how this is established,” Rosenheim said. “We’ll create a menu and they’ll decide what to have for dinner.”

For more information, call Rosenheim at (818) 716-2689.