Cars to Return to Golden Mall, Council Decides

A plan to open the Golden Mall shopping center to traffic was approved 4 to 1 Tuesday by the Burbank City Council over protests from residents who want to retain the pedestrian atmosphere and parklike setting of the mall.

Construction is expected to begin in August, with completion of the $4-million project scheduled before the 1987 holiday shopping season.

The proposal was approved after a council hearing in which several citizens said they opposed the project because it would eliminate trees, the Pavilion community meeting area and fountains along the four-block mall.

Merchants Press for Parking

The council in January approved a plan that did not provide for on-street parking along the mall. But pressure from several mall merchants, who said parking was essential to their businesses, prompted the council to reverse its decision and order the city staff to redraw plans.

City officials said opening the mall to traffic would help integrate it with the planned $140-million Towncenter shopping center.

The mall, built along what was then San Fernando Road, was closed to traffic in 1967. Officials at that time were alarmed at the loss of revenue to cities with shopping centers, and felt a pedestrian-oriented mall would return business to Burbank. But the mall was never very successful and has deteriorated.