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BURBANK : City Weighs Limits on Late-Night Eateries

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To answer residents’ complaints about noise, litter and crime, the Burbank City Council has begun a push to require late-night fast-food restaurants to get a permit from the city to stay open between midnight and 6 a.m.

The council also asked that planning officials develop an ordinance that restricts hours and activity at restaurants within 300 or even 500 feet of residential neighborhoods.

“It’s creating a nightmare for us neighbors,” said Andy Biser, who lives near a 24-hour Taco Bell on Buena Vista Street and had pleaded with the council for a change Tuesday night. “On many nights, my family has been awakened by noise, auto engines and yelling.”

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Biser said that when he contacted Taco Bell, he was told that they would “do what they can.”

City Planner Rick Pruetz said that by requiring a conditional-use permit, the city would not necessarily ban restaurants from operating at those hours, but they would have to meet criteria set by the city to control noise and crowds. Drive-through lanes and carry-out orders contribute to the noise, he said.

The city has received two petitions signed by 31 residents complaining about the late night restaurants.

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