1 STAFF REPORT
DATE: November 7, 2023
TO: Justin Hess, City Manager
FROM: Patrick Prescott, Community Development Director VIA: Fred Ramirez, Assistant Community Development Director, Planning Scott Plambaeck, Planning Manager
BY: Amanda Landry, Principal Planner
SUBJECT: Update on the Media District Specific Plan and Consideration of the Development Potential and Associated General Plan Amendment
RECOMMENDATION
1. Note and file.
2. Provide policy direction and input on the Media District Specific Plan Update Development Potential.
BACKGROUND
The Burbank2035 General Plan Realization Plan, Land Use Program LU -3 (Specific Plans) calls for the City to evaluate its existing specific plans, including the Media District Specific Plan (MDSP), through a public participation process (Realization Plan Land Use Plan Program LU -5: Public Participation) to determine whether the vision, goals, and policies established by the plans remain applicable, and revise the plans as necessary to ensure that they address current needs . To implement this, staff applied for and was awarded a $500,000 Local Early Action Planning (LEAP) Grant from the State of California, of which $430,000 is allocated toward the MDSP Update. Staff also applied for and was awarded an additional $430,000 from the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) Regional Early Action Planning (REAP) Grant program to partially fund the MDSP Update and required environmental assessment pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Due to the funding sources, the project management is a joint effort between the City and SCAG. SCAG has engaged with WSP, a consulting firm specializing in land use, urban design, economic feasibility analysis, and traffic analysis to assist with the effort. The City has separately contracted with Rincon Consultants, Inc. to prepare a Program Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the MDSP Update.
COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT
2 The Burbank Media District
The MDSP area is located on the southwestern edge of the City of Burbank and is roughly bounded by Clybourn Avenue, Keystone Street, Oak Street, and the Los Angeles River (Attachment 1 ). The 0.85 -square mile area is a major employment center, with approximately 69,000 people on average commuting daily into the Media District to work.
The MDSP area is home to numerous media and entertainment companies, including the Walt Disney Company, Warner Bros. Entertainment, and the Burbank Studios, as well as a mix of commercial, office, and residential uses. Healthcare, recreation, and educational facilities can also be found within or immediately adjacent to the MDSP area . The Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center provides medical care and support services and recently completed an expansion to add 44 emergency department beds and 23 urgent care beds to ensure a healthy environment for the community. Likewise, Providence High School, located immediately south of the medical center, attracts students and families, increasing business and boosting the local economy. Similarly important is Johnny Carson Park, which provides open space, recreational activities , and serves as a gathering place for the area, including the adjacent commercial establishments, film studios, medical center, high school, and neighboring residential land uses. Additionally, several large Planned Developments are located adjacent to these commercial areas and currently host various television and film studios.
The MDSP area is also conveniently located in the heart of Los Angeles County and accessible by freeway, surface streets, and public transit. Although the majority of the Media District is bisected by two major thoroughfares, State Route 134 and Olive Avenue, a total of five bus routes serve the Media District , and run along Olive Avenue, Buena Vista Street, Alameda Avenue, Riverside Drive , and North Hollywood Way. As a result , the Media District is a short trip away from local and regional assets and destinations, such as the Hollywood Burbank Airport, Universal City and Universal Studios Hollywood, Hollywood, and Downtown Los Angeles.
Media District Specific Plan (MDSP)
The MDSP (Attachment 2) was adopted in 1991 with the primary objective to regulate the intensity of development within the MDSP area to preserve the character of the predominantly single-family residential neighborhoods adjacent to, but not actually within, the MDSP area. The MDSP achieves this by establishing appropriate land uses while providing sufficient development opportunity for media and medical uses at strategic locations within the Media District and ensuring adequate infrastructure to support new development. The MDSP also includes general development standards for the new construction as well as for physical improvements to the street network. Although the MDSP did not anticipate much residential development, it addresses residential density via Floor Area Ratio (FAR) limitations and the density thresholds established in the Burbank2035 General Plan Land Use Element , codified in Burbank Municipal Code (BMC) Sections 10-1-2103.5, 10-1-2109.5, 10-1-2114.5, and 10-1-2119.5.
The MDSP also includes strategies to reduce development -related traffic impacts on adjacent residential neighborhoods such as requirements for employers to promote alternative modes of transportation, an emphasis on providing more public transportation opportunities, maximizing pedestrian travel, and programs to enhance pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, and to slow vehicles down. In addition, t o further reduce 3 development related traffic impacts, the MDSP establishes a Transportation Demand Management (TDM) requirement for employers with 25 or more employees, with the goal of reducing peak hour congestion over 20 years from the date each business establishes in the MDSP area.
Purpose of the MDSP Update
The current MDSP is more than 30 years old and its regulations have not been comprehensively updated since adoption . However, during the past 30 years , the physical, economic, and regulatory context has changed significantly and the MDSP needs to be updated and refined to respond effectively to these changes . The MDSP Update is focused on achieving its original objective of ensuring context sensitive design, neighborhood protections , and facilitating the development of residential units and neighborhoods that can make the best use of, and coordinate with, the existing and future transportation resources that serve the MD SP. Updating the MDSP will also help build upon some of the small areas within the MDSP that have existing pedestrian-friendly street network with shorter blocks, narrower streets aligned with trees, and more human- scale buildings that create a welcoming and comfortable environment to the rest of the MDSP area.
Developing policies to streamline the development of new housing within the MDSP area is also a matter of significant regional and local concern, because while the Media District is compact and highly developed with primarily commercial uses, it has limited housing opportunities for individuals traveling to work within this major employment center. The limited housing availability adds to the l ack of housing affordability and exacerbates a significant jobs-housing imbalance that contributes to traffic congestion. As noted earlier in this report, the Media District is a major regional employment center with approximately 69,000 jobs. However, there are fewer than 400 residents that live and work in the MDSP area, which is indicative of the dramatic jobs-housing imbalance that exists for the MDSP area, city, and region. Streamlining the development of housing in the MDSP area to serve even just a small fraction of the 69,000 jobs may have a significant positive impact on regional and local traffic and housing affordability by putting much needed housing near jobs.
The MDSP Update is also an opportunity for the City to establish a clear vision for the Media District and institute a set of objective development standards to help implement that vision for the next 15 to 20 years. This is a significant and important step that will ensure new development is consistent with the City’s vision, as the st atewide regulatory setting is increasingly trending toward streamlining residential development and limiting local governments to enforcing only those objective development standards that are in effect at the time an application is submitted. Previously, local needs and vis ion were addressed through a discretionary entitlement process, which is no longer possible under a streamlined review. The most prominent of these regulations is currently Senate Bill (SB) 35, codified in Government Code Section 65913.4, which establishes a streamlined ministerial approval process for qualifying housing projects that mee t certain specified criteria. Under SB 35, certain cities are limited to evaluating SB 35 Projects against the objective zoning, subdivision, and design review standards that are in effect at the time a Notice of Intent (NOI) to submit a SB 35 Project is submitted to the City.
4 DISCUSSION
Summary of the MDSP Update Process
The MDSP Update process began in April 2022. Compared to other similar City efforts, the overall timeframe of the MDSP Update is somewhat accelerated, with an anticipated timeline of approximately 18 to 24 months. This is in large part due to the timeline obligations associated with the REAP and LEAP grants that fund the MDSP Updat e.
Although the City Council recently adopted general mixed- use and residential only development standards for use in non-residential zones, it is imperative to have a revised set of objective standards in place to manage the consequences of the new regulations noted above.
Major project phases or milestones, followed by the date(s) the phase was initiated or the dates when the milestones were achieved, are noted below:
Project Kickoff (April 2022)
Discovery/Technical and Environmental Analysis (May 2022 – May 2023) Public Outreach and Communication (August 2022 – May 2023) Policy Formulation (November 2022 – November 2023)
Public Hearing Process and Consideration of Adoption ( Winter/Spring 2023 – 2024)
Pursuant to the Burbank2035 General Plan, Plan Realization Land Use Program LU-5:
Public Participation, public involvement is critical to the planning process, which includes the update of the MDSP. The initial public outreach and communication efforts associated with the MDSP Update consists of five rounds of outreach. Each round consists of a key stakeholder meeting, a public workshop, and a study session with internal City staff. For the purposes of the MDSP Update, key stakeholders are major property owners, significant businesses, developers, and active residents.
The first round occurred in August 2022 and focused on providing an overview of the MDSP Update process to the public, including a discussion of the existing physical and regulatory conditions that affect the Media District. The second round of outreach occurred in September 2022 and focused on land use alternatives and urban design. The third round of outreach occurred in October 2022 and focused on transportation and circulation issues. The fourth round of outreach began in January/February 2023 and focused on dr aft specific plan concepts. As part of this round of public outreach, a neighborhood walkabout was held in the northern portion of the MDSP area, in the general vicinity of the Talaria/Wholefoods development at 3401 East Olive Avenue. In addition, an in-person community workshop was held in the evening of February 22, 2023, in the Buena Vista Library Community Meeting Room . A second walking tour was held on April 29, 2023, and a listening session on non-residential land uses was held on May 24, 2023.
As part of the overall outreach efforts , staff also met with or has plans to meet with key property and business owners, residents, and developers who have expressed interest in developing within the proposed Media District . These efforts include one- on-one meetings with interested residents or property owners, neighborhood group walkabouts, and ongoing correspondence with other interested members of the public. 5 Thus far, staff has also made presentations to the following Burbank Boards, Commissions, and Committees, and other local organizations and groups, including:
Youth Board Parks and Recreation Board
Senior Board Art in Public Places
BWP Board Chamber of Commerce Board
Heritage Commission Sustainable Burbank Commission
Board of Library Trustees Community Development Goals Committee
Burbank Cultural Arts Commission Infrastructure Oversight Board Transportation Commission Planning Commission
Burbank Chamber of Commerce
Further, the MDSP Update was the topic of the Winter 2023 University of California, Los Angeles Luskin School of Public Affairs Urban Design Studio. The Studio participants studied the relationship between the development review process and transit planning and prepared creative solutions to address the public realm, built environment, urban design, and mobility within the MDSP area.
Current Status of the MDSP Update
City staff and the Project team are continuing to work on a complete draft of the MDSP and Program EIR that will include policies to facilitate the streamlining of housing development projects that coordinate well with existing and future transit opportunities , be responsive to community input , and result in development standards that are enforceable when verifying compliance with the state’s most current housing and land use regulations. Furthermore, staff is continuing to engage in discussions with the public including key stakeholders and City staff to complete this effort. At this time, key locations for targeted residential and non- residential growth have been identified and a draft building height strategy has been developed (Attachment 3). This has enabled the project team to develop a “build-out analysis” which depicts the maximum development potential within the Media District as if each parcel was vacant.
Preferred Project Development Potential
The Preferred Project development potential is a project alternative consistent with the City Council Goal to facilitate the production of 12,000 new dwelling units citywide by the year 2035. It is also consistent with the adopted 2021 – 2029 Housing Element and will help the City meet its Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) requirement of providing 8,772 housing units during the Housing Element’s 6 th planning cycle that
concludes in October 2029. The proposed Preferred Project alternative is the foundation for the policy framework being developed as part of the updated MDSP and it will be studied in the Program EIR as the Preferred Project.
The Preferred Project includes estimates for the maximum possible residential and non- residential development under the proposed revisions to the allowed residential density and Floor Area Ratio (FAR). The development potential for MDSP area was calculated by multiplying the site acreage of each parcel by the proposed maximum density and the 6 FAR for that parcel. It is important to clarify that these numbers reflect and assume the unlikely possibility that every single property in the MDSP area would turn over and be entirely re developed to achieve the maximum residential and non- residential development. Given the number of properties currently developed with high quality residential, office, media related uses or other non- residential uses, the maximum build out number is unlikely to ever be fully achieved. The residential opportunity sites indicated in the table below are a narrower selection of sites that were identified based on community feedback and project analysis as locations appropriate to accommodate the development of housing or mixed-use developments, as these areas are expected to be able to take the most advantage of future transportation opportunities . As for the non- residential development number, this figure was calculated based on existing market conditions and other recently approved projects and applicati ons submitted in MDSP area. I t is assumed that the full commercial FAR for each site generally will not be achieved and that on average, most sites are anticipated to develop at 33% of the allowed commercial FAR.
The following table represents the net Preferred Project development potential summary for residential and non-residential development and represents the number of additional units or square footage that would be added to what is already allowed under the existing regulations. These numbers were generated using the above referenced methodology and do not include any of the area covered by a Planned Development designation or Development Agreement, as those properties are subject to separate legally binding agreements that are not anticipated to be altered during the anticipated plan horizon.
MDSP Update
Preferred Project Net Development Potential above "No Project Alternative" Land Use Quantity (Net)
Residential Units (All Sites – PD/DA and
Pipeline) 4,627
Residential Units for Media District
Opportunity Sites Only 3,865
Non-Residential Square Footage (All sites –
PD/DA and Pipeline) 2,466,081
Preferred Project Burbank2035 General Plan Land Use Element Amendment The current land use designation (Attachment 4) for most of the properties within the MDSP area are not consistent with the proposed density and FAR . Therefore, the proposed Preferred Project would require modifications to the Burbank2035 General Plan Land Use Map (Burbank2035: General Plan Land Use Element, Exhibit LU-1: Land Use Diagram) to ensure internal consistency between all planning documents.
7 Increased Growth Alternative
For the purposes of completing a thorough environmental assessment of the MDSP Update, the Program EIR for the MDSP Update also considers two alternatives in addition to the Preferred Project . The first alternative is the Increased Growth Alter native (IGA) which was developed in recognition of several state laws intended to streamline the development of housing, including the State Density Bonus Program , which allows developers the ability to exceed the base densities established in the Burbank2035 General Plan by up to 50%, in exchange for the development of affordable housing.
Consistent with the approach used for the Downtown Transit Oriented Development, or TOD, Specific Plan and the Golden State Specific Plan, the MDSP Update IGA will study additional growth beyond the Preferred Project development potential which includes the maximum 50% State Density Bonus Law density increase applied to all Housing Element Opportunity Sites and Specific Plan Redevelopment Sites on top of the Preferred Project densities. The IGA will be analyzed to the same level as the Preferred Project in the EIR.
The purpose of the Program EIR’s comprehensive review of the Increased Growth Alternative is a needed “stress test” of our city infrastructure and is intended to ensure that potential density increase resulting from a developer-initiated density bonus under state law is sufficiently analyzed to inform the public and decision makers of any potential significant adverse impacts to the City’s utility infrastructure. Lastly, this analysis will also help establish future policy and work plan considerations to facilitate upgrades to City infrastructure to keep pace with projected development. The analysis also helps to ensure that all development addresses their fair share impacts to the City’s infrastructure inclusive of the construction of needed upgrades to serve individual projects and the payment of associated development impact fees (General Plan Land Use Element Goal No. 2: Sustainability, Policy No. 2.3). The following table shows the Increased Growth Alternative development potential for the Specific Plan Area:
MDSP Update
Increased Growth Alternative Net Development Potential above No Project Alternative
Land Use Quantity
Residential Units (All Sites – PD/DA and
Pipeline) 9,397
Residential Units for Media District
Opportunity Sites Only 7,928
Non-Residential Square Footage (All sites –
PD/DA and Pipeline) 6,932,324
8 No Project Alternative
The No Project alternative assumes no specific plan project and assumes the build- out of properties within the MDSP area as described in the adopted Housing Element and the existing Burbank2035 General Plan Land Use Element Table LU -2. This alternative will be studied in the Program EIR. The following table shows the No Project Alternative development potential for the Specific Plan Area:
MDSP Update
No Project Alternative (No Change to Existing Regulations) Land Use Quantity
Residential Units (All Sites – PD/DA and
Pipeline) 6,633
Residential Units for Media District
Opportunity Sites Only 5,321
Non-Residential Square Footage (All sites –
PD/DA and Pipeline) 2,615,372
Next Steps
The Specific Plan project is nearing the completion of the Policy Formulation phase of the update that includes the development of Land Use Alternatives, Development Potential, and work on drafts of the Specific Plan and associated Program EIR. Next, the NOP for the Program EIR will be released for public review. A community meeting is scheduled for Novem ber 15, 2023 to provide an overview of the proposed draft Land Uses and Development Standards for the MDSP. The Notice of Preparation (NOP) public meeting for the Program EIR is scheduled for November 16, 2023. Staff and the Consultant team will continue to work on the completion of a draft of the Specific Plan and Program EIR with anticipated release of both for public review by the end of 2023. Additional community workshops, presentations to the various Burbank Boards, Commissions, and Committees, and key stakeholder meetings will be held leading up to the release and the review of the draft documents. Staff anticipates both the Specific Plan and Program EIR will be brought to the City Council for review and consideration of approval in Spring 2024.
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
This report has no potential for resulting in a direct or indirect physical change to the environment and falls outside the definition of a “project” under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA ) and is therefore not subjec t to CEQA pursuant to Section 15378 of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations. This staff report is for informational purposes only about the M DSP Update and associated General Plan Amendment.
However, the MDSP Update Project is subject to CEQA. To fulfil the requirements of CEQA, a Program EIR is being prepared. A Program EIR may be prepared on a series of actions that can be characterized as one large project and are related either: (1) 9 Geographically; (2) As logical parts in the chain of contemplated actions; (3) In connection with issuance of rules, regulations, plans, or other general criteria to govern the conduct of a continuing program ; or (4) As individual activities carried out under the same authorizing statutory or r egulatory authority and having generally similar environmental effects that can be mitigated in similar ways. A specific plan is an ideal type of project for which a Program EIR is appropriate.
A Program EIR also has several strategic advantages. The Program EIR can: (1) Provide an occasion for a more exhaustive consideration of effects and alternatives than would be practical in an EIR on an individual action; (2) Ensure consideration of cumulative impacts that would not normally be reviewed on a case-by-case analysis; (3) Avoid duplicative reconsideration of basic policy considerations ; (4) Allow the lead agency to consider broad policy alternatives and program wide mitigation measures at an early time when the agency has greater flexibility to deal with basic problems or cumulative impacts; and (5) Allow reduction in paperwork and a more streamlined review of future projects that are consistent with the EIR.
As part of the Program EIR, a comprehensive study of the utility infrastructure that serves the Media District Specific Plan Update will be prepared to ensure that appropriate policy and planning strategies are established so that the anticipated future growth within the Specific Plan area is adequately served by critical utility services.
FISCAL IMPACT
As noted previously, City staff applied for and was awarded a $500,000 LEAP Grant from the California Department of Housing and Urban Development, of which $430,000 is allocated toward the MDSP Update. Staff also applied for and was awarded an additional $430,000 from SCAG REAP Grant and SCAG also contributed an additional $74,609.
Therefore, the initial budget for the update to the Media District Specific Plan is a total of $934,609.
The goal of the LEAP Grant program is to support projects that will accelerate housing production to meet the identified housing needs of every community, which is aligned with the purpose of the MDSP Update. The goal of SCAG, the administrator of the REAP Grant program, is to assist Southern California jurisdictions in developing planning projects that aim to increase housing production and advance Connect SoCal’s growth vision and policies. The MDSP Update was awarded the LEAP and REAP grants as the purpose of the MDSP Update is to facilitate streamlined regional housing and transportation solutions, which is aligned with and furthers the shared goals of the respective LEAP and REAP programs.
CONCLUSION
The Specific Plan presents an opportunity for the City to plan in a manner that leverages resources in the Media District to meet the City’s short - and long-term planning efforts, which include ensuring compliance with state housing and land use regulations and City Council housing and neighborhood protection goals, while also preserving as much local control in the land use planning process as possible. Consistent with these goals, staff is seeking policy direction and input from the City Council on the Development Potential for the Specific Plan area. Future progress reports will be provided and study sessions will 10 be offered to City Council throughout the remainder of the project. Completion of the Specific Plan and associated Program EIR helps to facilitate the collaborative process between City staff, the community, and the City Council through which we aim to facilitate a shared vision for the larger downtown planning area as we work together for a safe, beautiful, and thriving community.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment 1 – Media District Specific Plan Update Boundary Map Attachment 2 – Media District Specific Plan Update
Attachment 3 – Media District Specific Plan Update Opportunity Sites Attachment 4 – Burbank2035 General Plan Land Use Table LU-2