1 STAFF REPORT
DATE: January 25, 2022
TO: Justin Hess, City Manager
FROM: Patrick Prescott, Community Development Director Via: Fred Ramirez, Assistant Community Development Director - Planning By: Karen Pan, Administrative Officer
SUBJECT: Approval of a Memorandum of Understanding with Southern California Association of Governments for the $430,000 Regional Early Action Plan Grant to Update the Media District Specific Plan
RECOMMENDATION
Approve the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) to accept a $430,000 Regional Early Action Planning (REAP) grant that will support the efforts to update the Media District Specific Plan.
DISCUSSION
The Community Development Department Planning Division continuously seeks grant opportunities to assist the City in implementing the Burbank2035 General Plan. Staff applied for the REAP grant and was awarded $430,000 to update the Media District Specific Plan.
The purpose of this staff report is to seek City Council’s approval to accept a REAP grant by entering into an MOU with SCAG (Attachment 1).
SCAG, the administrator of REAP, launched this opportunity to assist Southern California jurisdictions in developing planning projects that aim to increase housing production and advance Connect SoCal’s1 growth vision and policies. Staff applied for this grant to help meet Program Goal LU-3 of the Burbank2035 General Plan, which notes amongst other things that the City “Review the three existing specific plans [i.e., Burbank Center Plan, Media District Specific Plan, and the North San Fernando Boulevard Master Plan] through a public process to determine whether the vision, goals, and policies established by the plans remain applicable and appropriate. Revise th e plans as necessary to ensure that
1 https://scag.ca.gov/connect-socal
COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT
2 they reflect current desires for each of the three areas. ” (Source: Burbank2035 General Plan-Plan Realization Element Program LU-3, Pages 8-6).
The original Media District Specific Plan was adopted in January 1991. The landscape and makeup of this community have considerably changed during the last 30 years .
Today, this area is a major employment center comprised of a variety of media oriented and commercial uses that are located within a half mile of existing transit cor ridors and envisioned transit centers. Updating the plan will help address the current 3:1 jobs to housing imbalance and help further planning projects consistent with the City Council goal of facilitating 12,000 units by 2035. The plan update can help promote transit-oriented development projects with objective development standards . These standards will help protect existing neighborhoods while creating opportunities to provide much needed affordable and workforce housing near major employment centers . This will help reduce vehicle miles travelled and encourage the use of public transit while reducing reliance on the automobile (Burbank2035 General Plan Mobility Element, Pages 4-17 and 4-18).
The Media District Specific Plan is envisioned to include strategies that will facilitate a variety of housing options (affordable, workforce, mixed-use and higher density housing), as well as create safe and conv enient access to surrounding retail, commercial, entertainment, and recreational centers and enhanced access to goods and services. The planning process to develop this specific plan will include considerable public outreach and engagement to ensure that the City continues to work together with the community to build and protect neighborhoods.
FISCAL IMPACT
The REAP grant will be funded and administered by SCAG, and therefore, the City does not need a budget amendment to appropriate the grant funds into the City’s budget. Due to the estimated cost of the Media District Specific Plan, SCAG and the City will also be collaborating to use another City grant for this project ; the $430,000 Local Early Action Planning (LEAP) grant from the California Department of Housing and Urban Development. Therefore, the estimated budget for the update to the Media District Specific Plan is a total of $860,000.
CONCLUSION
This grant and proactive long range planning effort s will help facilitate responsible development and maintain local control by allowing the community to develop a long - range vision for where and how housing is developed within the Media District planning area in a way that is unique and appropriate to the City of Burbank . Therefore, staff recommends City Council approve the MOU with SCAG to accept the $430,000 REAP grant.
ATTACHMENT
Attachment 1 – MOU with Southern California Association of Governments