Burbank Rejects 212-Home Hillside Development
The Burbank City Council on Tuesday night unanimously turned down a proposal by developer Sherman Whitmore to build 212 homes on a city hillside.
The five-member council followed the recommendation of city planning officials, who said the development would pose “several unavoidable significant adverse environmental impacts on the hillside.”
The privately owned development site was the subject of a heated dispute earlier this year when the city attempted to use state funds to buy the property from Whitmore. Whitmore and the city were unable to agree on the value of the property, however, and city officials ended the negotiations.
Several hillside residents opposed the housing proposal for a 117-acre parcel north of Lamer Street, saying it would harm native vegetation and wildlife.
Whitmore’s attorney, Brian Bird, said the developer’s representatives are working with city planning officials on a revised proposal with fewer homes.
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