Universal Studios is expanding, with noisy...
Universal Studios is expanding, with noisy construction on top of the noise already generated by its entertainment attractions. Warner Bros. wants to put in its own huge development. And Burbank Airport, once a sleepy small-town airstrip, is now a busy travel center with closely spaced flights. All of this has residents of Burbank holding their ears. Robin Greene talked with elected officials and residents.
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ROBBY SHAW
Owns property near Universal Studios
We’re being assaulted on a number of fronts. We have the studio expansions, which bring in 55,000 extra [car] trips a day into the Burbank area. We are being assaulted by the airport, with its increased and expanded operation. Because of the basin we’re in, surrounded by mountains, the pollution from airplanes taking off is becoming intolerable. As the crow flies, I live a little over a mile from Universal Studios. I can hear bombs exploding, I can hear their loudspeakers in our yard just as clear as if they’re a block away. There are so many houses up for sale that property values have taken a dump. Universal wants to put in an amusement park, Warners wants to put in an amusement park. It can’t happen. Our streets can’t carry that volume of traffic.
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MARGIE GEE
Commissioner, Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority
When we moved here in 1960, Burbank Airport appeared to be a dying entity, going the route of so many of the littler airports. If we had known [the airport was going to grow] we never would have bought our home, which is one mile south of the runway. The runways were short and the surrounding mountains made it impractical for planes to use the airport safely and effectively. Then the jet era came upon us. The planes were stronger and could use the runways. We want a mandatory curfew that prohibits planes from flying in the middle of the night. If the airport is such an asset to the community, the adversities caused by it should be shared.
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MEE H. LEE
Director, government relations and real estate planning, Warner Bros .
We have spent the past three years pulling together a master plan that would allow us to develop 3.5 million square feet over the next 20 years. One of the major components of our plan is helping to preserve the neighborhoods in which we’re located. We’ve never taken the approach that we’re a major studio and we can build where we want. This plan is our best effort at balancing what at times are our different interests. Warner Bros. is the largest employer in Burbank. With the aerospace industry having left Southern California, the entertainment industry is the most viable industry left. We are a big corporation, the largest tax base in the city of Burbank. But, we’re not just a big corporation. We reach out and actively participate in the community.
