Letter: Residents wonder as IKEA gets its way
The Burbank City Council approved the renaming of a portion of First Street to IKEA Way in order to help reduce confusion among shoppers traveling to the Swedish retailers future store, which will be its largest in the United States when completed.
I was absolutely astounded when I read the Feb. 17 Leader and learned the City Council had approved renaming a portion of First Street to IKEA Way and pushed it through all in one night. This renaming came about because of a suggestion from a former traffic commissioner and seemingly without any thought of the ramifications, the costs to Burbank, and the income and bargaining lost.
Why are we giving IKEA this? First IKEA was given free rent in their present location, then they got every advantage in the purchasing and building their new megastore and now we give them a street named IKEA Way for free? All the freebies given to IKEA were supposed to be a huge benefit to Burbank in the way of sales taxes, which they only collect for us. Sales taxes are not out of their pocket! Are the negative impacts worth the sales taxes? Just how many millions will they collect for us?
So far it seems we will only have a substantial loss in terms of a huge traffic impact, dirtier air, a more dangerous neighborhood and burden on our water resources. These instant council decisions that give away our assets and aren’t beneficial to Burbank make one think about the council’s loyalties.
I hope each council member will do their homework and call for a revote on this street-name-change issue. I also hope you will remember this: “Let no one say, and say to your shame, Burbank was a beautiful city before your reign.”
Anna May Nelson
Burbank