Condemnation Filing OKd to Acquire Depot : Burbank: The city acts after fruitless negotiation to buy the property for use as a public transit station.

The Burbank City Council has authorized city officials to begin condemnation proceedings to acquire Southern Pacific’s train depot for use in Burbank’s new commuter rail complex.

Council members said they had become increasingly frustrated in their “considerable and responsible” efforts since early last year to purchase the depot and accompanying property at 101-201 N. Front St.

However, at the request of Southern Pacific executives, the council instructed City Atty. Joe Fletcher to continue negotiating with the company for two weeks before formal condemnation papers are filed.

The depot was severely damaged in a recent fire, but the city is still interested in the property.

The depot, built in 1927, was most recently used two years ago for storing hazardous chemicals, Burbank officials said.

Negotiations have been stalled because Burbank and Southern Pacific disagree on the amount of hazardous materials on the property and who will pay the cost of cleaning up the materials.

“Southern Pacific has been dragging its feet on this,” Planning Department administrative analyst Scott Mitnick said.

“They have an obligation to clean up the site. The state has been trying to get them to do this for 10 years.”

The City Council in July offered to pay Southern Pacific $2.5 million for the site, less undetermined expenses to rid the property of hazardous materials.

Southern Pacific spurned the offer, Mitnick said. “They want a cap on how much they would have to pay for the cleanup,” he said. “They don’t want to lose money on the property.”

But Terry Bird, an attorney for Southern Pacific, denied that the company has been stalling.

“We’re really trying to get this resolved as quickly as possible,” he said.

He said Southern Pacific may not be legally liable for the cleanup because the company leased the depot to another firm that stored the chemicals at the site.

Bird added that executives were still trying to determine the extent of contamination.

A city-commissioned consultant has estimated the cost of a cleanup.

Mitnick declined to reveal the figure, although he indicated it would be less than $10 million.

The Burbank City Council had wanted the train depot to serve as the nostalgic centerpiece of the rail system, which is scheduled to begin operation in October, 1992.

Burbank will be one stop on the commuter route that will serve downtown Los Angeles, Moorpark and Santa Clarita.

Until the fire, plans called for the vacant 180-foot-long depot to be remodeled to include an RTD bus terminal, a pedestrian bridge and 1,600 parking spaces.

The building was damaged by fire June 25, and the council has not decided whether to restore the building.

Restoration would cost about $1 million, Mitnick said.