Burbank OKs $8-Million Payment to School District

The City Council on Tuesday night approved an $8-million payment to the Burbank school district for land for a new library and park.

Critics contend the expected costs of the Buena Vista Library project are excessive and question whether the city can afford to build on the 5.4-acre tract at Buena Vista Street and Verdugo Avenue, where the Burbank Unified School District now has its headquarters.

Councilman Ted McConkey, the project’s chief opponent, said the city will be a million dollars short of the money needed. The city is going ahead anyway, he argued, because “when you want something badly enough, you suspend reality because you are emotionally committed to one course of action.”

“Spending four times what a property is worth and not being able to build on it may be satisfying to some people’s egos, but it’s not very good business,” he said.

Many Burbank city officials disagree, saying their decision will benefit the schools and the community. The council approved the plan in a 4-1 vote.

“The city of Burbank has a long tradition of aiding the school district in their rebuilding needs,” Burbank Mayor Bob Kramer said. “This [deal] is merely a continuation of that cooperation.”

Burbank officials say the city has given substantial donations to the district in the past without asking anything for its money. This time, Burbank provided funding while getting a valuable property in return, officials say.

When completed, the Buena Vista library will nearly triple the space of the existing Buena Vista branch, from 8,075 square feet to 23,500 square feet.

The new library will contain an auditorium, indoor-outdoor seating, amphitheater and advanced computer technology. The city will also establish a 136,000-square-foot park on the northern part of the property.

In all, the city has appropriated $12.6 million for the project, including $1.9 million to acquire the site and a $6.1-million contribution to the school district, plus $5.6 million for construction costs.

Of those funds, $3.3 million will come from the city’s general fund while the city Redevelopment Agency will finance $9.3 million of the project.

City Manager Bud Ovrom conceded no private buyer would pay what Burbank paid for the school district property, which he said had been appraised at $1.9 million. But he said Burbank was getting a bigger library in a great location with minimum disruptions to the surrounding neighborhoods.

“It’s our No. 1 capital improvement priority,” said Ovrom, denying the city lacks money to complete the project. “We are going to need more money for the library than was originally planned, but that’s because the cost of the building is going up,” he said. “It’s not insurmountable.”