1 STAFF REPORT
DATE: January 30, 2024
TO: Justin Hess, City Manager
FROM: Patrick Prescott, Community Development Director VIA: David Kriske, Assistant Community Development Director, Transportation Fred Ramirez, Assistant Community Development Director, Planning Scott Plambaeck, Planning Manager
BY: Marcos Fuentes, Senior Transportation Planner
Daniel Villa, Principal Planner
Karen Chavez, Associate Planner
SUBJECT: Discussion on Mobility Planning in the Golden State Specific Plan Area
RECOMMENDATION
Provide policy direction on the mobility goals and policies to be included in the Golden State Specific Plan.
BACKGROUND
The Burbank2035 General Plan Realization Land Use Program LU-3 calls for the City to prepare a specific plan for the Golden State Area1 to provide a comprehensive framework for future development and mobility improvements consistent with Goal 12 of the Land Use Element , and other existing planning documents ( e.g., Housing Element, Burbank2035 Mobility Element, Complete our Streets Plan, Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan), which create a sense of place, foster neighborhood identity, and address issues that are specific to the area. In 2016, the City Council (Council) directed staff to begin implementing this program by developing the Golden State Specific Plan (Specific Plan).
This report provides an overview of the approach the project team is taking on mobility planning efforts in the Specific Plan Area. Specifically, it discusses existing conditions of the bicycle, pedestrian, transit, and roadway networks, as well as areas of opportunity for improvement. To provide supporting information that should be considered in the mobility
1 The name Golden State was the name of the former Redevelopment Project Area taken from the name of Interstate 5; “Golden State Freeway”.
COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT
2 planning efforts, the report also includes a summary of the Specific Plan and the ongoing land use planning efforts.
The Specific Plan
The approximately 640-acre Golden State Area (Specific Plan Area) is located south and east of the Hollywood-Burbank Airport and is generally bounded by Cohasset Street and Interstate 5 to the north; Buena Vista Street to the east; Vanowen Street and Pacific Avenue to the South; and the Hollywood-Burbank Airport and the City boundary with Los Angeles to the west (Attachment 1). It includes land zoned for industrial, commercial, and residential uses and two existing Metrolink stations, the Hollywood-Burbank Airport, and a potential High Speed Rail station within the Specific Plan Area (Attachment 2). Home to Lockheed from the 1940s to the 1990s, the Specific Plan Area has traditionally been seen as one of the City’s industrial hubs and a major employment center. With Lockheed’s departure in the 1990s, there was a slowdown in activity within the area. More recently, this area experienced a resurgence through recent development projects and evolution into a major employment and transit hub that includes an eclectic mix of commercial, office, media, hospitality, industrial, and technology businesses, as well as residential developments (Attachment 3).
As part of t he Specific Plan development, staff has been analyz ing land use, infrastructure, transportation, pedestrian, and bicycle amenities, as well as opportunities for new housing that is affordable for all income levels, including the City’s workforce and other in-fill development in proximity to major employment and transit centers . Staff is also analyzing vehicle, bicycle, and pedestrian connectivity within the Specific Plan Area (e.g., neighborhood services, airport, transit, employers, lodging) by confirming consistency with the Burbank2035 General Plan Mobility Element, Bicycle Master Plan, and Complete Our Streets Plan, and study ing ways to take advantage of economic development opportunities and job creation around the stations . In conjunction with the Specific Plan, a Program Environmental Impact Report (EIR) is being drafted that provides a comprehensive analysis of the S pecific Plan's potential environmental impacts.
The Specific Plan – Update
Specific Plan development began in the Fall of 2016. The current goal is to present a complete policy recommendation to City Council in the Fall of 2024. The Community Development Department has divided the formulation of the Specific Plan into the following five phases:
o Phase 1 – Discovery (Completed)
o Phase 2 – Visioning (Completed)
o Phase 3 – Alternatives/Plan Preparation (June 2021 – Present) o Phase 4 – Public Review (Spring 2024)
o Phase 5 – Adoption and Implementation (Fall of 2024)
Community participation throughout every phase of the Specific Plan’s development has been identified as a priority to facilitate a shared community vision that preserves local control in the land development process (Attachment 4). City staff and the consultant 3 team continue to work on completing a draft of the Specific Plan and Program EIR with an anticipated release of both for public review in late Spring 2024. Staff anticipates both the Specific Plan and Program EIR will be brought to City Council for review and consideration of approval in Fall of 2024.
Vision and Guiding Principles
The Vision and Guiding Principles serve as an idea of what the community would like to see in the study area. These principles were established following a series of presentations to Council , B urbank Boards, Commissions, and Committees , and Community Workshops. For reference, the Vision and Guiding Principles are included in Attachment 5.
Proposed Land Use Plan and Growth Forecasts
Consistent with the Vision and Guiding Principles, a draft of the Proposed Land Use Plan was reviewed by Council on April 25 , 2023 (Attachment 6). The Plan aims to create a balance between the existing character of the Area, while still facilitating the community’s vision and goals moving forward. This is done by:
• Limiting changes to the existing high- density and low -density residential neighborhoods located north of Empire Avenue.
• Facilitating residential development within a ½ mile of the Metrolink Stations, the proposed High Speed Rail Station, and along major corridors. • Accommodating a balanced combination of commercial and industrial uses – including neighborhood serving uses, and
• Planning in a manner that accounts for existing airport adjacency land use restrictions.
Current growth forecasts show that the Proposed Land Use Plan could result in 6,897 new residential dwelling units and 3,262,448 square feet of new non-residential floor area in the Specific Plan Area by 2035. Attachment 7 contains maps showing projects that are currently undergoing City review or are entitled in the Specific Plan Area, referred to as “Pipeline/Entitled Projects”, and sites that have been identified as “ Opportunity Sites”.
These include sites that are currently occupied with surface parking lots, single -story buildings, and/or underperforming uses, that have the greatest potential to accommodate the infill of housing within the Specific Plan’s 2035 horizon.
DISCUSSION
Background on Mobility Planning
The Specific Plan endeavors to create a comprehensive framework for mobility enhancements that are tailored to the City’s Golden State Area by developing its own mobility chapter. The express purpose of this new m obility chapter is to build upon and implement the goals and policies outlined in the Burbank2035 Mobility Element , the Bicycle Master Plan, the Complete Our Streets Plan, and the City’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan (GGRP) Update, with the goal of enhancing safety for all modes of transportation, establishing seamless connections between key destinations and major transportation hubs, and promot ing accessibility for present and future residents – all while reducing transportation- related greenhouse gas emissions . Additionally, the 4 Specific Plan’s mobility chapter would define the community’s vision for transforming the Area into a more walkable and less car-centric environment. This is done by identifying areas of strengths and opportunities that will address and fill gaps in the existing infrastructure and develop a comprehensive list of Complete Street s2 accompanied by prescribed improvements.
Existing Conditions
The first step in developing the Specific Plan mobility chapter consisted of evaluating the existing roadway, bicycle, pedestrian, and transit network s that comprise the circulation system in this part of the City with the intent of identifying strengths and areas for opportunity (Attachment 8).
Roadway Network
Under existing conditions, the Specific Plan Area’s roadway network is served by two (2) I-5 freeway interchanges that connect the Area to the larger highway network, along with a combination of arterial, collector, and local streets that further provide connections that support the industrial and n on-residential uses found throughout the Area. Examples of these land uses include the Hollywood -Burbank Airport, the Amazon Delivery Station at the Avion Development, the Marriot Hotel, and various office and retail spaces.
Transit Network
In terms of the existing transit network, the Specific Plan Area includes both local and regional transit asset s that provide good existing transit access to residential and commercial land uses . At present, transit services in the Area are provided by multiple Metro b us lines, the BurbankBus Orange Route, the Metrolink Antelope Valley and Ventura County Lines (via two Metrolink rail stations ), and a bus transit center at the Burbank Airport. Despite the existing level of transit services available, lack of service frequency and passenger amenities prevent greater usage of the transit network by residents and employees of the Specific Plan Area. Metrolink service on the Antelope Valley Line is only hourly, while service on the Ventura County line has two- to four-hour service gaps throughout the day. While frequent bus transit service is provided along Empire Avenue by Metro and BurbankBus, most other major corridors have headways longer than 15 minutes, and some corridors like Buena Vista Street have no transit at all.
Finally, s parsely placed bus shelters leave bus stops along the major streets without shading for transit riders.
Bicycle Network
In recent years, existing and funded bicycle projects are growing the bicycle network in this part of the City through the addition of in-street and raised Class IV 3 protected bike
lanes along Hollywood Way that were constructed as part of the Avion private development project, and a separated Class I 4 bicycle path along San Fernando
2 “Complete Streets” are designed and operated to enable safe access for all users—pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, and transit riders of all ages and abilities.
3 Class IV (Cycle Tracks or Protected Bikeways) provide a right-of-way designated exclusively for bicycle travel separated from pedestrians, vehicle traffic, and parked vehicles. Class IV Bikeways are protected and separated using grade separation, flexible posts, inflexible physical barriers, and/or on-street parking.
4 Class I bike lanes are shared-use paths completely separated and off-street right-of-way designated for the exclusive use of bicycles and pedestrians with crossflow by motorists minimized. 5 Boulevard that is in final design. These facilities provide major north-south routes, along with the Complete Our Streets Plan designat ion of Ontario Street as a bicycle priority street to further extend the networ k in the coming years. However, there are a lack of east-west routes that continue to make bicycle travel across the Specific Plan Area challenging.
Pedestrian Network
There are similar gaps in the existing pedestrian network. For example, while most streets in the Specific Plan Area offer sidewalks on both sides of the road, they tend to be narrow and lack shade. Also, several key transit access streets around the two Metrolink stations only have sidewalks on one side, and the long street blocks adjacent to Metrolink railroad corridors create barriers for pedestrians and therefore, make accessibility more challenging. Finally, bicycle and pedestrian transportation networks are impacted by several railroad and freeway barriers that prevent easy travel in and out of the study area.
Travel to and from Downtown Burbank is impacted by the need to cross the Antelope Valley rail crossing and Interstate 5. In addition, access to Magnolia Park and the Media District is impacted by the need to cross the Ventura County rail line. Furthermore, t he Ventura County line prevents easy access between residential neighborhoods in the Specific Plan Area and Providencia Elementary School.
Areas of Opportunities
Having identified major strengths and gaps in the existing Specific Plan Area’s networks, the next step in the planning process was to identify areas of opportunities that would realize the C ity’s vision and mobility goals. As part of this update, staff is requesting Council confirmation on the areas of opportunity identified below that balance the need to accommodate vehicle demand with the desire to improve other travel modes to provide more complete streets.
Roadway and Pedestrian Network
Starting with the roadway network, the Specific Plan seeks to modify the existing road network s o that it continues to support vehicle circulation in a safe manner , while accommodating for future planned growth and improving overall roadway safety.
This Specific Plan’s Mobility Chapter will accomplish this by measuring vehicular volumes, identifying key trip generators , and factoring future planned development to forecast future roadway vehicle travel demand. However, staff is proposing to accommodate this roadway vehicle travel demand while balancing the need to improve access to transit, bicycle, and pedestr ian transportation systems in accordance with the Burbank2035 Mobility Element, Bicycle Master Plan, and Complete our Streets Plan goals and policies. Thus, no major roadway capacity improvements are proposed.
Instead, the Specific Plan will assess the existing roadway street configurations to determine how transit users, bicycl ist, and pedestrians can be more safely accommodated. This analysis is being done in the context of expected traffic demands generated by expanded industrial, office, and retail uses planned in the area, as well as new major trip generators like the new Hollywood Burbank Airport Replacement Terminal and a potential High Speed Rail station proposed to open at the site of the Avion Development sometime in the next decade.
6 Staff has identified potential i mprovements to the planned roadway network that are consistent with the Citywide Complete Our Streets Plan. At a high-level, the Plan seeks to transition select auto- focused arterial roadways to pedestrian- focused streets, and to improve first/last mile connections to Metrolink stations and public transit. Areas of opportunities to achieve this include:
• Requiring that private development dedicate property for wider sidewalks. • Narrowing certain unnecessarily wide streets to provide wider sidewalks. • Implementing Complete Our Streets guidelines at intersections to tighten curb radii and reduce pedestrian crossing distances.
• Introducing new protected mid-block crossings to break long blocks. • Improving sidewalks with street trees for improved shade, reduced urban heat island effects, and more carbon sequestration consistent with the GGRP.
The purpose of these proposed improvements is to embrace pedestrian safety and accessibility while still accommodating expected vehicle traffic demand, and to integrate the City’s Complete Our Streets Goals and Policies into the Specific Plan.
Bicycle Network
Additionally, the Specific Plan seeks to improve bicycle connectivity and infrastructure to encourage more, easier, and safer bicycle ridership (Attachment 9). Some of the key opportunities in this regard will be to:
• Expand the existing raised protected bike lanes along Hollywood Way to complete a north-south corridor across the entire Specific Plan Area. • Complete the San Fernando Bikeway to provide a Class I bikeway from the Specific Plan Area to the Empire Center, Downtown Burbank Metrolink Station, and Chandler Bikeway.
• Reconfigure Winona Avenue and Vanowen Street to reduce travel lanes and provide raised protected Class IV bicycle lanes.
• Narrow vehicle lanes on Cohasset Street to provide raised protected Class IV bicycle lanes.
• Narrow vehicle lanes on Ontario Street to provide in-street buffered bicycle lanes. • Provide more bicycle amenities like bike parking racks and bike share to further facilitate bicycling in the Specific Plan Area.
The purpose of these improvements is to provide north- south and east -west “8-to-805” bicycle facilities where users of all ages and abilities feel comfortable travelling by bicycle throughout the Specific Plan Area.
Transit Network
Staff has also identified areas of opportunity for the transit network with the goal of providing better transit connections at the local and regional scale, and increasing
5 An “8-to-80” facility is one that allows users of all ages and abilities (or those from age 8 to age 80) to travel safely and protected from vehicle traffic.
7 ridership, level of service, and improv ing first/last connections. Some of the proposed improvements include:
• Coordination with transit service providers, including Metro, Metrolink, and BurbankBus to improve existing bus, rail schedules and/or routes to better accommodate current and future land uses;
• Providing first-last mile transit connections to future projects like the new Hollywood Burbank Airport Replacement Terminal and planned High-Speed Rail Station;
• Exploring new intra -district mobility options, such as the creation of a new BurbankBus route running north to south to connect the Golden State Area with the Magnolia Park Neighborhood and the Media District; and • Advocating for increased local bus frequency on ot her major corridors like Hollywood Way.
The purpose of these transit improvements is to expand transit frequency, improve regional connections, and close gaps that prevent residents and employees in the Specific Plan Area from relying on transit as a travel mode.
Complete Streets, Targeted Streets
Goal 3 of The Burbank2035, Mobility Element establishes that the City shall have Complete Streets that meet all mobility needs and improve community health. The Complete Our Streets Plan further supports that Complete Streets not only focus on the everyday routine , but also change over time to adapt to and accommodate new technology and new ways of navigating the City. The Specific Plan identifies several transit, bicycle, and pedestrian improvements that reali ze the City’s mobility goals and visions. As part of this analysis, staff has also identified specific targeted streets where the outlined areas of opportunities can be translated and implemented. The following streets play an important role in connecting the Specific Plan Area today, and will play a crucial role connecting future residents and developments:
• Hollywood Way • Winona Avenue
• Vanowen Street • Cohasset Street
• Thornton Avenue • Ontario Street
Based on the aforementioned areas of opportunities and proposed improvements , the Specific Plan will include detailed cross-sections of these targeted streets prescribing the necessary improvements and treatments to transform them into Complete Streets (Attachment 10). The cross-sections detail the width of streets, vehicle lanes, sidewalks, on-street parking, and bicycle facilities. Staff highlights these streets for Council because the recommended cross sections in most cases require reducing travel lanes to minimum widths, and reallocating roadway space from vehicle lanes to other modes of travel.
However, staff considers these proposed roadway reallocations to be modest and conservative; the proposed roadways will still be able to accommodate existing and 8 expected vehicle travel demand while vastly improving accessibility and safety to other travel modes.
Neighborhood Protection Plan (NPP)
This Specific Plan recognizes the potential impacts that planned land use changes could pose to existing residential areas. To get ahead of such impacts, o n November 7, 2023, Council directed staff to prepare a Neighborhood Protection Plan (NPP) for the Golden State Area (Attachment 11). Consistent with one of the key Burbank2035 General Plan Goals to protect residential neighborhoods, the purpose of the NPP is to create a tailored toolbox of strategies and measures that address traffic and parking- related impacts, to preserve livability of neighborhoods and discourage cut -through and spillover traffic.
Following Council’s approval, preparation of the NPP is estimated to start in early 2024 and be completed in Spring 2025.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH
Consistent with Council goals of facilitating greater community engagement, the City had and continues to have multiple community workshops, neighborhood walking tours, online surveys, stakeholder interviews, a technical working group, and engagement of the various Burbank Boards, Commissions, and Committees during the first three Phases of the Specific Plan.
At their October 2023 meeting, the Burbank Transportation Commission received a presentation on the proposed mobility goals and policies under consideration for the Specific Plan. The Commission discussed many of the proposed street cross sections and their tradeoffs, recommended further orienting new development towards transit, and discussed including a potential new pedestrian crossing of the Metrolink Ventura County Line connecting Empire Avenue to Vanowen street, somewhere between Buena Vista Street and Hollywood Way. The Commission also recommended improving Empire Avenue with additional bicycle and pedestrian Complete Our Streets Plan improvements given its importance as an east-west link to key destinations including the Empire Center, the Burbank Airport, and existing and future housing developments along this street.
Given the existing width of Empire Avenue, accommodating these types of improvements could require removing vehicle travel lanes or parking.
Future community workshops, presentations to the various Burbank B oards, Commissions, and Committees, and key stakeholder meetings will be held leading up to the release of the draft documents and during the review of the documents.
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
This Staff 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 subject to CEQA pursuant to Section 15378 of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations. This staff report is for informational purposes only regarding the Mobility Planning in the Specific Plan Area.
However, the Specific Plan Project is subject to CEQA. To fulfil the requirements of CEQA, a Program EIR is being prepared . A Program EIR is an EIR which may be prepared on a series of actions that can be characterized as one large project and are 9 related either: (1) 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 regulatory 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. As part of the Program EIR, a comprehensive study of any environmental implications , including mobility improvements within the Specific Plan Area, will be prepared.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact to the General Fund to receiving the information contained in this report. City staff applied for and was awarded $800,000 in California High Speed Rail Authority Planning Grant funds , $389,000 from Metro under the TOD Planning Grant Program, and $ 40,000 in LEAP funds. Additionally, f unds are available in the current Fiscal Year 202 3-2024 Budget to cover the remaining approved project budget. Any future request to amend the scope of the project and/or increase the budget would be brought forth for Council’s consideration.
CONCLUSION
The Specific Plan presents an opportunity for the City to strategize in a manner that leverages resources in the Specific Plan Area to meet the City’s short-term and long-term planning efforts. Staff is seeking policy direction and input from Council on:
1. T he identified areas of opportunity, and the Complete Streets, Targeted Streets Cross-Sections that leverage the areas of opportunity to balance the need to accommodate vehicle demand with the desire to improve other travel modes to provide more complete streets;
2. T he Burbank Transportation Commission’s recommendation that s taff look into improving Empire Avenue with additional bicycle and pedestrian Complete Our Streets Plan improvements; and
3. A ny other input and direction on other mobility areas of opportunity or concern that should be addressed in the Specific Plan before a draft is pres ented in Spring 2024.
Developing mobility goals, policies and areas of focus is an important step in establishing a Specific Plan that is consistent with th e future mobility needs of the City . By working together with the members of the Burbank community on the proposed improvements, staff will continue to work towards supporting and maintaining a safe, beautiful, and thriving community.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment 1 – Specific Plan Area Boundary Map
Attachment 2 – Regional Mobility Assets
Attachment 3 – Development Activity
Attachment 4 – Summary of Work Completed in Phases 1 through 3 Attachment 5 – Vision and Guiding Principles
Attachment 6 – Existing and Proposed Land Use Plan
10 Attachment 7 – Project Development Potential Map
Attachment 8 – Existing Roadway, Bicycle, and Transit Networks Attachment 9 – Map of Potential Bike Lanes
Attachment 10 – Complete Streets, Targeted Streets Cross-Sections Attachment 11 – NPP Boundary Map