 |
 |
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
 |
Burbank Media Studios North Initial Study and Focused EIR |
|
Introduction Environmental Documents Online EIR IS/MND/EA EIR/EIS Biological Analyses Historic Resource Assessment Before and After Photos Comprehensive Project List |
|
Client: M. David Paul Development LLC Lead Agency: City of Burbank Date Completed: February 2005 Project Background In 1988, the City of Burbank Redevelopment Agency initiated negotiations with M. David Paul Development LLC for the development of the Media Studios North project on a 10.8-acre site located immediately north of Empire Avenue between Avon and Ontario Streets. The site is part of a larger property originally acquired by the Agency from the Lockheed Corporation in 1988, and subsequently subdivided into three (3) parcels to facilitate development of the Burbank Airport Hilton hotel and hence creating the project site parcel. In 1991, the City of Burbank approved a similar development of a 650,000 square foot office project, entitled the Burbank Business Centre, for the project site which included a General Plan Amendment (GPA) to the Limited Commercial land use designation, and a zone change to Planned Development (PD). In the City of Burbank, an approved PD consists of a Project Report, which defines the physical development, and a Development Agreement, which defines the terms of development. The existing/approved PD allows the development of four office buildings between 3-6 stories in height, and two parking structures providing 8-9 levels of parking, partially subterranean. Coincident with the consideration of the previous Burbank Business Centre project, an Environmental Impact Report (EIR), entitled "Final EIR The Burbank Business Center" (dated October 7, 1991), was prepared for the Burbank Business Centre and certified at the time of that project approval (reference State Clearinghouse No. 90011179). The previous Burbank Business Centre project, although approved, was never developed. Nonetheless, the approval for the Burbank Business Centre activated a change in the General Plan land use designation, and a zone change which was enacted though the Redevelopment Agency, thereby facilitating the consistency potential for future projects to meet the criteria of the current land use designation and zoning. Subsequently, M. David Paul Development LLC, proposed a similar project that provided up to 650,000 square feet of primarily office space and related parking. The project was environmentally analyzed through a Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) that tiered from the original Burbank Business Centre EIR, dated 1991. The Media Studios North proposal involved a slight alteration of the planned and permitted uses, conditions of approval, and the boundaries of the project site which accommodated a more efficient site design. The exact location of buildings was not determined in order to provide design flexibility for the applicant. The modified project proposal, together with the change in project developers, required approval of a new Planned Development zone designation for the site. Proposed Project The applicant proposes to amend the entitlement of the Media Studios North PD in two ways. First the amendment would extend the PD boundaries by incorporating a strip of land along Avon Street previously owned by Lockheed, totaling approximately 0.52 acres. Second, the amendment would expand the current development entitlement of 650,000 square feet by approximately 275,000 square feet to construct additional office and related parking facilities. Since the site has previously been zoned PD, the applicant will continue to exercise the flexibility of the zoning with regards to number and placement of buildings within the site. Though building foundations have been constructed for the third office building, the zoning flexibility would allow the additional development to be placed either in the future planned locations (Areas I and II) and/or distributed in those areas including the third office building site, accommodating then approximately 445,000 square feet (the 275,000 square feet of additional space plus the remaining entitlement development not yet built) of development. The overall design goals for the project are intended to emulate the scale and character of the two existing PD site buildings and to complement the character of the surrounding buildings to satisfy the City of Burbank design standards. Similar to the existing Development Agreement, construction would occur in development phases, the timing of which would likely be contingent upon market demand. However, the project would be built out by 2010. Businesses located within the proposed project are anticipated to operate consistent with typical office related business hours.  Proposed Site Plan Source: Dave Thomson Enterprises, LP, 2004 |
|
 Northeast view of the project site.  North view of the project site.  West view of the project site.  West view of the project site. |
|
|
|
