Burbank Planner Quits, Says He’s ‘Burned Out’

Burbank City Planner Gary Yamada, one of the major figures in the city’s redevelopment and planning efforts, submitted his resignation this week, saying he was too “burned out” to continue.

“I’m just totally tired, totally burned out,” said Yamada, 42, who started with the city as a systems planner 13 years ago. “I’m tired of all the night meetings, the council meetings, going to night Planning Board meetings. The time has come to go. The work is not fun for me anymore.”

Yamada, who lives in Monterey Park, said he will open a restaurant with his in-laws in El Monte. “I’m going to don a cook’s cap, cook some steaks, sweep the floors, everything and anything,” he said.

Yamada’s resignation will take effect May 9. Rick Pruetz, an advanced planner in the Planning Department, will serve as acting city planner.

Among Yamada’s major responsibilities recently were presiding over the council-appointed citizen “blue-ribbon” committees studying development in the horse-keeping Rancho residential area and in the Media District, which contains several motion picture and television studios.

He was one of the principal officials supervising the updating of the city’s General Plan, which will determine the zoning of neighborhoods. He was also helping to oversee preparation of a specific plan for development of the Media District, and a site plan review ordinance that examines the effect of developments on existing neighborhoods.

Yamada said he was not curious to see his projects through to the end. “I will miss my friends, but I will not miss the work,” he said.