A Bridge, a Gate--and a New Truce : Burbank: Neighbors on two sides of a channel had fought over whether the span should stay or go. A compromise seems to have satisfied all.

A footbridge over a Burbank flood control channel linking two hostile communities is no longer a bridge over a troubled neighborhood.

Area residents say there has been a truce of sorts along Elmwood Avenue, where animosity erupted in September when city officials proposed demolishing the bridge that linked a middle-class, mostly white community with a low-income, predominantly Latino area.

Relations along the two-block stretch of Elmwood are still cool, and leaders from both factions say there are no plans for a reconciliation block party in the near future.

But the erection of a gate on the bridge--closing it nights and weekends--has left both sides feeling that they’ve come out ahead.

Residents on the western side, who complained that gang members used the bridge to bring trouble to their street, say that problem has diminished.

And those on the eastern end say the dispute has unified them--even inspiring them to spruce up their block.

“I see it as a victory for our side,” said Miguel Perez, 21, who lives in the area east of the bridge. “Everything seemed to have worked out.”

Patty Bush, who lives on the western side, echoed Perez’s sentiment.

“If things stay like this,” she said, “then everything’s all right.”

The division between neighborhoods widened last year when residents on the western side pleaded with city officials to tear down the elevated walkway over the channel that divides the 200 block of Elmwood. They said they needed protection from gang members on the eastern side who crossed the bridge to terrorize older residents and commit vandalism in their neighborhood.

That drew protests from residents on the eastern side, who said the bridge provided the only quick and safe passage for children and elderly people headed to schools and markets. As they saw it, people on the western side wanted the bridge torn down because they did not like “Mexicans” walking on their block.

The appearances of the neighborhoods reflected the rift. On one side of the bridge was a block of mostly single-family homes with manicured lawns and hedges. On the other side were crowded, deteriorating apartment buildings.

The issue became an emotional one. Parents on the east side asked Burbank officials not to demolish the bridge. Some, including Perez, threatened to take their children out of school. Homeowners on the western side, meanwhile, insisted that the City Council take measures to protect their neighborhood.

In what was called an interim measure to calm emotions, city officials on Sept. 18 erected a nine-foot-high gate to restrict passage on the bridge. It would be open in the morning and early afternoon, but would be locked the rest of the time, and would be closed on weekends.

The temporary solution will apparently become a permanent one, City Manager Bud Ovrom said last week.

“Right now, there are not any plans of tearing down the bridge or of taking down the gate,” he said. “Both sides are not getting everything they want, but they’re getting something they want.”

Burbank Police Chief David Newsham, who once recommended that the bridge be taken down because of crime, agreed that the gate seemed to have a positive effect.

“We’re currently not recommending that the bridge be removed,” he said. “We’re content to leave it the way it is. The gate wasn’t totally responsible for the solution, but it’s a component of it.”

While the controversy divided Elmwood Avenue, it seems to have brought unity to one faction.

The grass is definitely greener east of the bridge and adjoining Lake Street. Months ago, the area was marked by broken toys and bottles littering the streets. Grass in front of the buildings had been trampled into nonexistence.

Now, new grass covers yards, and the streets are clear of clutter. Perez said the dispute prompted residents to spruce up the block.

“The gang members planted the grass because they knew they had messed up for everyone,” he said. “The neighborhood got a lot of negative attention, and they felt responsible. They wanted to show they weren’t all bad. Everyone who lives over here seems to have a little more pride.”

Newsham said police have also noticed a difference in the eastern end, where gunshots from gang members used to be reported weekly.

“We still get a disproportionate number of calls for service over there, but it’s a lot better than it has been for some time,” he said.

Bush said people on the west side don’t worry so much now about their neighbors to the east.

“It used to be the hot topic of conversation, but people hardly talk about it any more,” she said. “There really have been no problems since the gate went up. There hasn’t been any retaliation against us. They also seem to be taking better care of their neighborhood. So it’s worked out for everyone.”