Westfield Mall Expansion Could Bring Supergraphics, Billboards Over 101 Freeway in Valley

Westfield is looking to do a 235,000 square foot expansion of their Sherman Oaks Fashion Square location, bringing back some of the outdoor promenade open air feel it had before the 1994 earthquake. It's been in an extensive community process for over three years with Westfield and neighbors working together, of course, not always agreeing together. After all, this is a regional mall smack dab in the middle of a single family home community.

The Australian owned mall last night presented at the Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council, which in a four hour meeting, eventually passed the project with 17 conditions attached, all with Westfield agreeing. Conditions included landscaped medians, beautifying the pathetic looking Riverside Drive and installing left hand turn signals.

However, one condition leaves Westfield the option to display controversial billboards or supergraphics over the 101 Freeway and on two major streets. Westfield agrees not to display supergraphics, LED advertising and moving/animated signs along Riverside Drive, which faces the immediate neighboring community. However, when asked if they would consider putting advertising on walls facing Woodman and Fulton Avenues and on the to-be-built parking structures towering over the 101 Freeway, they said they could not commit to not using those spaces with billboards or supergraphics. It's not to say they would do it, a representative said, but they want to have the option.

Disclosure: LAist Editor and author of this post, Zach Behrens, is a member of the Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council.