Expanding a Lot : Additions Planned at Warner Bros.
A 20-year plan to expand Warner Bros. Studios prompted area residents to voice their concerns about problems such an expansion would bring to their neighborhood. The Burbank City Council is expected to act on the studio’s expansion plan Tuesday. Construction would occur in two phases, from 1995 to 2015, at Warners’ main and ranch lots. The addition of 3.7 million square feet of sound stages, office buildings and parking structures to the studio’s two lots in Burbank is expected to dramatically increase the studio’s workforce--from 5,100 to 8,500 employees.
Warner Bros.’ main lot lies within the specially zoned Media District, which also includes NBC Studios and Walt Disney Studios. Its ranch lot is in a mostly residential area just north of the Media District Studios.
Neighborhood Concerns
* Aesthetics: Franklin Ave. parking structure would be 20 feet high, most visible from houses immediately surrounding structure. California St. parking structure is lower but would “change the visual character of this street.” Landscaping is proposed to screen views of both structures.
* Shade and shadows: Taller buildings would cast shadows, hindering home gardening and outdoor recreation.
* Noise: The studio will conduct a noise study on the California Street parking structure and erect a wall between the parking area and a berm.
* Traffic: In 20 years, the proposed additions for the Main Lot would generate approximately 2,000 new trips during the a.m. and p.m. peak hours; 800 trips for the Ranch Lot.
Ranch Lot
Originally established by Columbia Pictures for outdoor shooting, this 30-acre lot is 175,000 square feet and contains 37 buildings. There are 497 parking spaces.
(see newspaper for layout)
* Total square feet of new construction: 1.1 million
Main Lot
This 106-acre lot contains 160 buildings on 2.3 million square feet. The existing structures were built in the 1920s and 1930s. There are 4,400 parking spaces on the lot, 2,400 off-site.
(see newspaper for layout)
* Total square feet of new construction: 2.6 million
Sources: City of Burbank; Warner Bros.
Researched by JULIE SHEER / Los Angeles Times
