'Everwood' aims to make good in 'hood

"Everwood," the subject of some recent complaints by Avenues residents, is giving back.

The Warner Bros. television show, which has been filming in the same eastern Avenues neighborhood — on Laurel Street — for three years, wants to make some streetscape improvements to the community it occupied for so long.

Andrew Langston, location manager for the show, which films many of its scenes in Salt Lake City, will present the offer to the Greater Avenues Community Council next week with hopes of taking it to the City Council if the community council approves.

"As a thank-you to the city ('Everwood') has offered to do some beautification on an island on that street," a Warner Bros. spokeswoman said. "It's basically just a thank-you from 'Everwood.' "

In recent months and weeks several Avenues residents have complained about "Everwood" filming, which often closes streets and takes up parking spaces in narrow Avenues neighborhoods.

Besides parking and traffic, neighbors have also complained about filming that has at times dragged into the wee hours of the night.

To make amends to the affected community "Everwood" wants to beautify the island in the middle of the traffic triangle at Laurel Street and Perry Avenue. Community council chairwoman Jill Van Langeveld said the move came in response to complaints citizens lodged against the filming.

"Yes, that was in response to the problems some of the neighbors had with the filming," she said. "They wanted to do something for the neighborhood."

The olive branch is welcome, said District 3 City Councilman Eric Jergensen, who represents the Avenues. However, Jergensen is still moving forward with his push to create some tighter regulations on filming in Salt Lake City.

At next week's City Council meeting Jergensen says he or another City Council member will make a motion requesting that Mayor Rocky Anderson's administration develop some new laws regulating the film industry in Salt Lake City.

"We're meeting with neighbors and the film industry and 'Everwood' to come up with realistic, meaningful solutions to this problem," Jergensen said.

The new solutions may include restrictions on how late filming can take place and whether film crews must provide financial or other restitution to the neighborhoods they impact, among other potential regulations or requirements, Jergensen said.

Of course, it's not known if the rest of the City Council will buy off on new rules. Some council members have expressed praise for Salt Lake City's film industry, which brings money to state and city coffers. Some council members may be unwilling to adopt onerous restrictions that could lead to less film production in Utah's capital.

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E-mail: bsnyder@desnews.com