Hillside Project in Burbank Wins Blessing of Panel
In a decision that disappointed hillside residents, the Burbank Planning Board gave tentative approval Monday to a controversial hillside residential development by builder Sherman Whitmore.
The board’s 3-1 approval of a 144-home development overrode a recommendation by city planning officials who said that the development would have an adverse effect on the environment. The board found that the benefits of Whitmore’s project outweighed its negative effects.
The 144-home proposal is an alternative to a 212-home development that was turned down by the council in October. The project would be built on a 117-acre parcel north of Lamer Street.
About 100 people appeared at the meeting, about half of them opposed to the project. The board is expected to consider the proposal again next week after further revision by planning officials. The development must be approved by the Burbank City Council.
Whitmore, who owns several acres in the Verdugo Mountains, has fought Burbank for at least eight years over his proposals.
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