STAFF REPORT
CITY OF BURBANK
PUBLIC
WORKS
DATE: June 27, 2023
TO: Justin Hess, City Manager
FROM: Ken Berkman, Public Works Director KB
VIA: Daniel Rynn, Chief Assistant Public Works Director - City Engineer BY: David Null, Senior Civil Engineer
SUBJECT: Adoption of a Resolution Renaming a Portion of San Fernando Boulevard between Keeler Street and Morgan Avenue to Rogers Place; Finding of CEQA Exemption (14 CCR §§ 15061(b)(3), 15301, 15302)
RECOMMENDATION
Adopt A RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BURBANK RENAMING A
PORTION OF SAN FERNANDO BOULEVARD BETWEEN KEELER STREET AND MORGAN AVENUE TO ROGERS PLACE (Attachment 1).
BACKGROUND
The Interstate 5 North High Occupancy Vehicle / Empire Interchange Project was recently completed by Caltrans. A major component of the project included the construction of a new interchange at Empire Avenue, which added new on- and off-ramps to the freeway at Empire Avenue and reconfigured several City streets to accommodate the interchange.
As part of the project, the former San Fernando Boulevard freeway undercrossing and traffic, no parking and does not provide direct access to adjacent properties, but rather only serves local neighborhood circulation between Rogers Place, Keeler Street, and Landis Street. This street is still considered San Fernando Boulevard but is no longer connected to the larger San Fernando Boulevard. The disconnection between this street fragment and the rest of San Fernando Boulevard creates confusion for roadway users trying to navigate the local neighborhood or along San Fernando Boulevard.
DISCUSSION
To resolve the confusing situation, staff recommends renaming this new one-way "Frontage Road" near Landis and Keeler Streets to "Rogers Place" , as an extension of the existing Rogers Place (see map, Attachment 2). No existing property addresses would be affected by this street name change because they have existing addresses on the adjacent Landis and Keeler Streets. Although the street renaming will not affect property addresses, the name change is necessary to provide address continuity and to allow for addressing of non-property elements along this street such as addresses for utility meter installations. For example, staff is working on a Metro-funded landscape project to help buffer the neighborhood from the new Empire Avenue northbound onramp. To install a water meter for project irrigation, a proper address along this new street must be established.
Burbank Municipal Code (BMC) Section 7-3-1001 (Street Name Change Requests) specifies that all street name changes shall be reviewed by the Public Works Director, who shall file a report and recommendation with the City Clerk. The Clerk will then set a public hearing before City Council. (BMC § 7-3-1002.) Criteria for naming a street include the following:
A. When a duplication, confusion, uncertainty, or similar problem exists or will occur,
B. When a name of local significance is used for the purpose of honoring or calling attention to persons or places having special prominence and significance to the culture or history of the city. (BMC § 7-3-1003.)
The proposed street name change would fall under the first category. The applicable sections of the BMC are included as Attachment 3. The Public Works Director reviewed the request on January 25, 2023, and recommends approval of the street name change to avoid confusion. Staff has also notified immediate residents and property owners of the proposed name change as required by the Burbank Municipal Code.
If approved by Council, new street signage will be installed within one month.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
Staff recommends that the City Council find adoption of this resolution exempt under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines, Sections 15061(b)(3) (because the renaming of a portion of an existing street has no potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment), 15301 (because installation of signs are minor alterations of existing public facilities with no expansion of the existing use), and 15302 (because replacement of existing signs would not result in any new environmental effect beyond the previous sign being replaced). Further, no exceptions under 14 CCR § 15300.2 or unusual circumstances apply to preclude these exemptions. As a result, the adoption of this resolution is exempt from CEQA and no further environmental review is necessary.
FISCAL IMPACT
This action has minimal fiscal impact. Public Works can provide and install street signs within its current operating budget.
CONCLUSION
Staff respectfully recommends that Council adopt the attached resolution to enable the street name change.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment 1 - Resolution
Attachment 2 - Exhibit A to the Resolution (Project Location Map) Attachment 3 - Applicable Excerpts of the Burbank Municipal Code Correspondences