BURBANK : Toll From Quake Reaches $25 Million

The city of Burbank suffered $25 million in damage from the Northridge earthquake, which has also closed the freeways and driven up the numbers of commuters who now use the city as a key transportation link.

The city is responding with grants to homeowners and no-interest loans to businesses until federal assistance arrives and also is revamping parking for the Metrolink station in Burbank, while increasing security and handling other problems.

Total daily ridership on the Metrolink train into Burbank has jumped from 600 to 6,000, said city planner Rick Pruetz. Bus and shuttle services connecting with the station also have increased dramatically, city officials said.

The Burbank City Council on Tuesday approved $200,000 in community development block grant funds to be split between no-interest loans for businesses and grants for residents made homeless by the earthquake. Residents can get up to $2,500 each, the same amount is available for small businesses.

The business loan would be repaid after the owner gets federal or other assistance, but the loan would be forgiven if the help does not come through, Community Development Director Bob Tague said.

Burbank’s emergency operations center was closed Wednesday and city inspectors had nearly completed checking 2,650 buildings that had been inspected. Of those, 21 buildings were declared unsafe, and 160 were listed as having limited access, meaning that only part of the structure has been occupied.

Much of the damage was in the Magnolia Park neighborhood of Burbank, in the city’s flat section, particularly near the intersection of Hollywood Way and Magnolia Boulevard.

“Every merchant sustained broken windows along Hollywood Way,” said Carolyn Berlin, leader of a neighborhood association actively involved in city issues. “Had the quake lasted a few more seconds, there would have been a lot more damage.”

“The doors of my office were sheared off at the hinges,” said David Gordon, a Magnolia Park optometrist, who reopened for business shortly after the earthquake. “I’m still one of the lucky ones; I’m not complaining.”

At the American Red Cross shelter at McCambridge Park, about 150 earthquake victims were still staying overnight, said Steve Goldfarb, the Burbank chapter of the Red Cross health and safety service coordinator. On Tuesday, the Red Cross started shuttling those in the shelters to a service center at 2600 West Victory Blvd.

At the service center, the Red Cross finds out what each quake victim needs and how each can best be helped and get new housing.

“We are getting people from North Hollywood, Northridge and from all over Los Angeles,” Goldfarb said. The Red Cross also has scheduled a free earthquake seminar at the Media City Center Mall from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Friday, which will include a psychologist who will explain how to help children through the crisis.

Editor’s Note

This is one in a series of Focus reports spotlighting individual Valley communities and how they are faring in the aftermath of the Jan. 17 earthquake.