1 STAFF REPORT
DATE: June 4, 2024
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: Discussion of the Draft Media District Specific Plan Update Draft Policies and Findings
RECOMMENDATION
1. Note and file.
2. Provide input and/or policy direction on the Media District Specific Plan Update, specifically as it relates to its alignment with and support of the three overarching goals of contextual development, transit -oriented growth, and streamlined housing production.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
City staff requests the City Council provide policy direction and input on the draft Media District Specific Plan (MDSP) Update. The draft MDSP Update (Attachment 1) was prepared after an extensive two -year effort involving significant public engagement, research, and policy analysis. The draft MDSP Update contains a coordinated strategy for streamlining context sensitive housing development projects near high quality transit stations. Streamlining the development of all levels of affordable housing in the MDSP area may have a significant positive impact on regional and local traffic and housing affordability by putting much needed housing near a major employment center. The updated draft plan is being proposed more than 30 years after the original plan was first developed, and represents 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. This is a significant and important step as much has changed over the past three decades and, in the last few years, the statewide regulatory setting has increasingly trended 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.
COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT
2 The draft MDSP Update is now available for public review , and additional public engagement is planned throughout the summer to introduce and explain it and solicit additional community feedback. The Project team will then use the feedback to ensure the final plan is updated and represents a well-balanced set of policies and development standards that emphasizes contextual development, encourages transit-oriented growth, and facilitates streamlined housing production all while seeking ways to preserve existing neighborhoods and maintain as much local control as possible.
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. In addition, the 2021-2029 Housing Element Housing Plan of the Burbank2035 General Plan includes implementation program #17, which requires the adoption of objective development standards for housing development through the MDSP Update.
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.
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. , Discovery, and the Burbank Studios , as well as a mix of commercial, office, and medium t o low-density residential uses. Healthcare, recreation, and educational facilities can also be found within or immediately adjacent to the MDSP area.
1991 MDSP
The current MDSP (Attachment 2) was adopted in 1991 and contains a set of general development standards, and guidelines 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. Residential density and non- residential development for the MDSP are established via Floor Area Ratio 1 (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.
Objectives of the MDSP Update
As previously noted, t he current MDSP is more than 30 years old, and its regulations have not been comprehensively updated since adoption. During this period many things have changed from a land use and state regulatory perspective. The MDSP U pdate is focused on achieving its original objective of ensuring context sensitive design, neighborhood protections , and facilitating the development of residential units and
1 Floor Area Ratio, or FAR, is the measurement of a building's floor area in relation to the size of the building’s lot/parcel. 3 neighborhoods that can make the best use of, and coordinate with, the existing and future transportation resources that serve the MDSP. 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 MDSP area is compact and highly developed with primarily commercial uses, it has limited housing opportunities for the approximately 69,000 individuals traveling to work within this major employment center. The current regulations exacerbate a significant three jobs to every one housing unit imbalance that contributes to traffic congestion that is experienced daily.
DISCUSSION
The MDSP Update process began in April 2022. Compared to other similar City efforts, the overall timeframe of the MDSP Update has been somewhat accelerated, with an anticipated timeline of approximately 30 months. It is imperative to have Media District specific objective standards in place to manage the consequences of the new statewide regulations including but not limited to ministerial streamlined review of housing developments under Senate Bill 35 and Assembly Bill 2011.
Draft MDSP Update
The draft MDSP Update contains an extensive amount of information and is organized into eight chapters, along with a guide on how to navigate through the document. A description of the eight chapters , with key significant draft policies and standards highlighted, are noted below. The Appendices , which are still being completed, will be released with the final draft.
1. Executive Summary (Page 7 of Attachment 1)
The executive summary offers a comprehensive overview of the MDSP Update and outlines the existing conditions, studies, and primary documents used as guiding frameworks for the Specific Plan’s development.
2. Introduction (Page 13 of Attachment 1)
The introduction chapter describes the purpose of the MDSP Update and provides the overall vision for the Media District, including its key concepts . It establishes the legal authority to prepare the Plan and its relationship to the City’s General Plan and notes the environmental review process. The Specific Plan has three overarching goals: 1) Emphasize Contextual Development; 2) Transit Oriented Growth; and 3) Facilitate Streamlined Housing Production.
3. Community Engagement (Page 19 of Attachment 1)
The community engagement chapter describes the purpose and process of community outreach conducted to create the Specific Plan. This chapter highlights the key goals of the community involvement efforts and incorporates and summarizes the community’s voices, aspirations, and concerns for the Media District.
The Project team used a variety of different methods and strategies to notify and reach a wide and diverse audience. To-date, the Project Team has made 17 presentations about the ongoing planning effort via attendance at the Burbank Farmers Market, walking tours, listening sessions, neighborhood meetings, community workshops (both virtual and in- 4 person), stakeholder briefings, lectures to UCLA graduate students, and presentations to the City Council, Planning Commission and other City Boards and Commissions.
4. Media District Profile and Characteristics (Page 31 of Attachment 1) The Media District profile and characteristics chapter explains the context of the Media District in relation to Burbank and Los Angeles County and the existing conditions and demographic profile. This chapter also highlights relevant planning documents and policies applicable to the planning area. The Media District is a major regional employment center with approxi mately 69,000 jobs within its boundaries and significant jobs to housing imbalance.
5. Land Use and Urban Form (Page 43 of Attachment 1)
The land use and urban form chapter articulates the goals of the land use plan for the Media District. This chapter explains the land use designations, zoning, permitted and conditionally permitted uses, and transfer of development rights (TDR). The chapter also includes a full set of objective development standards and guidelines.
The urban design strategy centers on contextually compatible, high-quality development.
Objective development standards, have also been crafted to address the bulk and height of buildings and incorporate more pedestrian oriented design and more useable shaded space.
6. Mobility (Page 99 of Attachment 1)
The mobility chapter explains the strategies and supportive policies for a safe and efficient multi-modal transportation system for the future development of the Media District. Public transportation, transportation demand management (TDM), and parking management strategies are also contained in this chapter.
The MDSP Update has been aligned with the Complete our Streets Plan and identifies where improvements can be made to the circulation network to ensure safe and efficient multi-modal mobility throughout the district. Parking concerns have been addressed through strategies for off and on- street parking and include concepts such as a parking benefit district, unbundled parking , and suggestions for streamlining the shared parking process.
7. Infrastructure (Page 129 of Attachment 1)
The infrastructure chapter addresses utilities and infrastr ucture through a discussion of public facilities, water supply, energy, and sewage systems. Work continues on this chapter, which will culminate in the analysis of existing capacity and potential improvements to city infrastructure needed to meet future demands.
8. Implementation (Page 135 of Attachment 1)
The implementation chapter includes a summary of action steps to implement the Specific Plan, inc luding regulatory actions, programs, and improvement projects. Work on this chapter continues, which will culminate in the identification of potential funding through financing strategies and other sources to ensure equitable and sustainable development in the Media District. This chapter also outlines the entitlement process for future projects. 5 A hierarchy has been established to streamline housing development reviews, and an extensive list of future regulatory actions and programs has been developed to fully realize the vision of the Specific Plan. Many of the programmatic items require development of coordinated policies to ensure consistency between major development concepts, such as transfer of development rights , transportation demand management, and parking management strategies among the proposed MDSP Update, the Downtown Transit Oriented Development Specific Plan, and the Golden State Specific Plan.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH:
As previously noted, an extensive public engagement plan was prepared and executed, and a complete summary of those efforts can be found in Chapter Three of the draft MDSP Update. Additional community engagement and outreach will be conducted through the summer of 2024 to introduce, explain, and solicit additional community feedback. The Project team will then use the feedback to ensure the final plan is updated and represents a well -balanced set of policies and development standards that emphasizes contextual development, encourages transit-oriented growth, and facilitates streamlined housing production.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This staff report is for informational purposes only about the MDSP Update and associated General Plan Amendment and 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.
However, the MDSP Update Project is subject to CEQA. To fulfil the requirements of CEQA, a Program EIR is bei ng prepared. Additional outreach focused on the environmental review and the release of the draft environmental documents is anticipated to occur during Summer 2024.
FISCAL IMPACT
The MDSP Update, including the additional public outreach and draft plan refinement, is funded through the following:
• Local Early Action Planning (LEAP) Grant
• California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) • Southern California Associations of Governments (SCAG) Regional Early Action Planning (REAP) Grant
• Direct SCAG funding
• City General Funds (previously authorized by City Council)
CONCLUSION
The MDSP Update process is 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 goals, 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. Currently, staff is seeking 6 policy direction and input from the City Council on the Draft MDSP and its ongoing development to ensure the planning effort remains consistent with the City Council and community goals.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment 1 – Draft Media District Specific Plan
Attachment 2 – 1991 Media District Specific Plan