Conversion of Burbank Stable Rejected

A proposal to convert a horse-boarding stable in the middle of Burbank’s equestrian-residential area into a public storage facility was unanimously rejected by the city’s Planning Board.

The decision Monday to deny a conditional-use permit to the owners of the Dincara Stock Farm sparked celebration from about 30 horse lovers who had spoken against the conversion. They had complained that increasing development in the neighborhoods surrounding Griffith Park is eroding the equestrian greenbelt of the community.

Even though the property is in an 11-acre area zoned for light-industrial use, city planning officials said a storage facility would be incompatible with the surrounding single-family neighborhood, produce heavy traffic and pose a fire hazard.

Owners of the 3.6-acre property, which stretches from Mariposa Street to the Los Angeles Equestrian Center, said they would appeal the board’s decision to the Burbank City Council.

“This area has been zoned for light-industrial use for more than 30 years, and the owners have a $3-million investment in this property,” said Richard R. Rogan, an attorney representing the property owners, Thomas H. Hurlburt and John C. Bell.

“With that kind of an investment, they don’t want to sell lots for single-family homes so that kiddies can have a horsey to ride on the trails,” Rogan said. “There’s no way they can ever make back their money that way.”

Rogan said Hurlburt and Bell, along with other investors, bought the property about a year ago. They first proposed to put a 226-unit apartment project on the property, but that would have required rezoning and was opposed by residents and horse lovers.

To conform more with the existing light-industrial zoning, the owners applied for a conditional-use permit to place six storage buildings on the site, along with a caretaker’s apartment.

In rejecting the proposal, the board also approved a recommendation that the entire 11-acre area be rezoned from light-industrial to single-family homes with horses.