Plaque at the Colfax Bridge, 2 Valleyheart Drives and Other Community Questions

Do you have a question about Studio City? Community activist Lisa Sarkin answers questions about history and issues in our area in this You Ask ... Studio City Patch Answers column. She knows who to call, and where to go to get things done. Send questions to  or leave it in the Comments section below. Thanks!

What is the proposed plaque or artwork that is planned for the Colfax Bridge? What is it going to look like? Who is paying for it? Did the community have input?—J.C. Addams

Three photos of the public artwork is presented with this answer to your question (see photo gallery above).  It was paid for by the money allocated to the bridge reconstruction which dates back to 2001.  The Studio City community worked with the city officials on the idea for the pieces and the city took the responsibility to have them made.

What can you do if a big car parks in a compact space? Is there a definition of what a compact car is, for example, is a Prius one? I try to park in the parking lot all the time and there are always Priuses there, but I can’t get my door open, and I have a Mustang, and it’s definitely a compact.

Here is the simplest definition of a compact car:  “Current compact car size, for U.S. and international models respectively, is approximately 4,100 mm (161 in) and 4,450 mm (175 in) long for hatchbacks, or 4,400 mm (173 in) and 4,750 mm (187 in) long for convertibles, sedans (saloon) or station wagons (estate car). Multi-purpose vehicles and sport utility vehicles based on small family cars (often called compact MPVs and compact SUVs) have similar sizes, ranging from 4,200 mm (165 in) to 4,500 mm (177 in) in the U.S., and from 4,400 mm (173 in) to 4,700 mm (185 in) in international-based models.”
It is not very easy to understand.

What you can do about it is another issue since most parking lots in Studio City are private property.  You may go to www.ladot.lacity.org/tf_Parking_Enforcement.htm to get more information about the City of Los Angeles regulations.

Why is there a Valleyheart Drive on both sides of the River? Is there ever a chance to change at least one of the street names to make things easier?—Jay Schwartzmann

I agree it may be confusing for some that Valleyheart Drive is on both sides of the Los Angeles River in some places.  I have tried to find out how this happened, but nobody seems to know.  Of course, the river was there before the streets.

I heard that the Studio City BID []  is trying to have a movie house put back into the bookstore that is now , is that true? That would be great!—Tom Chase, Colfax

It would be great to reopen the old Studio City Theater.  I spent many Saturdays going to the movies at that location.  Studio City needs a theater.  I have not been able to get any information about it.  So sorry!!  I’ll keep trying though.