BURBANK : Office Building OKd for Rancho Area

Despite new opposition, the Burbank City Council has approved an office building planned for the city’s Rancho neighborhood.

“I don’t think I can support this,” Councilwoman Susan Spanos said as the council, in a 3-2 vote Tuesday, approved an exemption from the Rancho Master Plan for a 42,000-square-foot building. Last week, the council had voted unanimously in favor of the project.

It was the second and final vote needed to approve the building planned by developer Tim Behunin for an empty lot at 820 S. Main St.

Spanos objected that the building was significantly higher than conditions set by the council in 1988, based on another project approved five years ago that fell through. She was joined by Councilman Dave Golonski, who said he wanted a stricter standard limiting the building height to 25 feet.

City planner Rick Pruetz said that the elevation at Main Street will be 32 1/2 feet, 4 1/2 feet taller than the 1988 project. The other side of the building is to be about 27 feet tall, about four feet higher than in the earlier project.

“I think there’s a big difference here,” said Spanos, disagreeing with Pruetz’s contention that the heights are reasonably close.

The City Council had approved the project in early March, but the issue came up again this month because of the recently approved Rancho Master Plan. Pruetz recommended granting the project an exemption because it was pending before the master plan was adopted.