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City Council approves hiring of architectural firm to begin New Design Guidelines...BUT!
Last Tuesday night (March 3rd, 2015) City Council voted unanimously to Approve a Professional Services Agreement with Dyett & Bhatia with John Kaliski Architects to prepare single-family design guidelines and Zoning Code changes. This represents over two years of pressure from Preserve Burbank and other members of the community who are alarmed at the size and lack of architectural character of new homes being built in Burbank.
Additionally, members of Preserve Burbank, Save Burbank Neighborhoods and other members of the community voiced their concern and disappointment over a new home project being built at 1062 E. San Jose. Neighbors on both sides of this property spoke in great detail about the damage to their homes that were caused by the demolition of the original home, drastic re-grading of the lot and flooding caused by the new owner's complete lack of consideration for their properties. Before and after photos shown by Sue Cleereman along with over an hour and a half of public complaints has compelled City Council to direct Staff to look at drafting an Interim Development Construction Ordinance (IDCO) to potentially halt construction on these large homes long enough for the architectural firm hired to prepare new single-family design guidelines to complete its work toward the end of 2015.
This is an opportunity to stop the ramping up of tear-downs and huge new homes that seem to be flooding into our city...
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We Need Your Help Tuesday Night!
Word of this possible IDCO has spread fast, especially among the real estate community; specifically the Burbank Association Of Realtors
In a statement released late last week, the Association of Realtors has encouraged its members and their clients to show up to this Tuesday's City Council Meeting (March 10th, 6:00 pm at City Hall) to oppose ANY KIND OF IDCO on the basis that it could have "unintended negative consequences" such as driving buyers out of the area "even temporarily" because of "uncertainty." We think these statements are unsupported by any past IDCOs that have been issued in Burbank and with the current lack of inventory in our city it is highly unlikely that every home buyer in Burbank is only interested in looking to build an enormous home. The statement also states that an IDCO "must be disclosed to a potential buyer." Ironically, no one at BAOR is disclosing to potential buyers that the home on either side, in front or in back of them could be razed tomorrow and replaced with an ENORMOUS NEW HOME THAT COULD BLOCK THEIR VIEWS, INTRUDE ON THEIR PRIVACY, REDUCE SUNLIGHT, ETC.
We believe that the City of Burbank can draft (as they have as recently as 2004) an IDCO that would not restrict smaller scale projects or remodeling, and at the same time, allow the architectural firm that was just approved (to the tune of $120,000) to complete their work on a larger set of design guidelines for Burbank. We could also stop the rush to construction that a delay in such action could create for more of our Burbank neighbors.
We are asking you to come to the City Council meeting on Tuesday, March 10th at 6:00 pm to let your voice be heard.
Let's not let the voices of a special interest group, the Burbank Association of Realtors, allow the interests of new home builders trump those of current homeowners who have lived in our neighborhoods for decades.
We will be meeting outside council chambers at 5:30 pm with handouts that you can read from if you do not know what to say.
If you cannot make the meeting, you can email the City Council members (emails addresses below) and ask them to "Direct Staff to draft an Interim Development Construction Ordinance, to allow the architectural firm recently hired to prepare new design guidelines for new home construction in Burbank, the time they need to draft and propose those guidelines to City Council later this year."
Email addresses for City Council members and the City Manager (you can copy and paste the list if you wish):
dgordon@burbankca.gov; bfrutos@burbankca.gov; egabel-luddy@burbankca.gov; gbric@burbankca.gov; jtalamantes@burbankca.gov; mscott@burbankca.gov
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We Are Growing!
Keep spreading the word about Preserve Burbank as every month I receive more and more requests to be added to our emailing list. Spread the word!
As always, if you have any Preserve Burbank related questions or concerns, feel free to contact Jim Casey at 818-641-9050 or jim@jamespcasey.com
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