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Thursday, Mar 28, 2024

Burbank Aims to Simplify Zoning Regulations for Business

Burbank is revamping its zoning laws in hopes of simplifying the development approval process, though the efforts are stirring some controversy in the business community. City staff says the proposed changes aim to combine many specific uses into fewer categories — streamlining the process and enabling staff to better accommodate today’s crop of businesses, which are mixed-use and could fall into any number of zoning categories. “It allows us to be more flexible to the new types of businesses we are seeing,” Burbank’s Assistant Community Development Director Michael Forbes said. “It’s not clear cut anymore. Businesses are not just office, not just retail, not just industrial.” But the proposed commercial zoning changes are drawing complaints from a prominent business group — the Burbank Chamber of Commerce — which fears now is not the time for a change. “We strongly favor holding off for a couple of years,” President Gary Olson said. “What’s the rush here?” Under city staff’s proposal, about 45 uses — such as bowling alleys, animal grooming shops and computer repair stores — would be required to get conditional use permits in certain areas of the city where approvals previously were not necessary. Requiring conditional use permits in more zoning cases, “will cause a degree of uncertainty and be burdensome to both property owners and potential tenants,” the Chamber wrote in letter to city planning staff last month. Conditional use permits cost $1,860. They also require a public hearing and can take up to six months to acquire, Olson said. Forbes said the need for zoning changes are long overdue, as local businesses and city planning staff often have difficulty deciphering the city’s current zoning laws. By making the process simpler, businesses would have an easier time finding location, helping to spur economic development, Forbes said. “Now is a great time to do it because of the economy,” he said. And many uses are becoming easier, Forbes noted. At least 50 types of businesses — such as art studios, laundromats and antique shops would be able to open without prior approval in some neighborhoods, where before they were not permitted. City staff also proposes to do away with outdated categories such as yarn manufacturing. The city conducted a similar reorganization last year, consolidating the number of industrial and manufacturing uses from 127 to 15. Some industrial changes are proposed in the latest round, as well. In a 4 to 1 vote, the Burbank Planning Board recommended to approve the staff’s proposed zoning changes, sending the issue on to council. The city council is scheduled to take up the issue on May 8, Forbes said.

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