Platt Co. land buy OKd

The City Council’s approval of deal turns land over to the Platt Co., developer of commercial and residential projects. DOWNTOWN BURBANK -- The City Council approved a $1.6-million deal Tuesday to turn two parcels of Redevelopment Agency land over to the developer of a multi-use commercial and residential park.

With the council’s 4-0 approval on Tuesday, the city turns over 13,000 square feet of land at Olive Avenue and Lima Street to the Platt Co. to construct retail stores, a restaurant, two parks, a church and more than 1,000 parking spaces.

The Platt Co.’s purchase of the parcels comes nearly a year after the company’s controversial plan for the land was approved by the Burbank City Council.

It is not uncommon for large development deals to take time, said Joy Forbes, a planner in Burbank’s Community Development Department.

“With development deals, there’s millions and millions of dollars involved,” Forbes said. “They have to make sure that all their investors are lined up before moving forward.”

The land was offered to the Platt Co. at market price, with no assistance from the city.

“This has always been a part of the contemplated plan,” said Dale Goldsmith, a spokesman for the Platt Co. “The financing has been a little complicated, but we’re nearing the completion of all that.”

The proposal, commonly referred to as the Platt project, was approved in a 4-1 council vote last year.

To gain approval, the developer had to scale down the proposal in the wake of protest from local residents.

Residents complained that the character of the development would not complement the surrounding area and worried that the new buildings would worsen traffic.

In response, Platt Co. limited the plan’s tallest building to 93 feet high and the number of condominiums to 220 units. In its earlier incarnation, the developer had requested permission for 298 condominium units and a 133-foot-tall building.

The church was a required part of the development, replacing the Toluca Lake Foursquare Church, which now sits on the property.

Even in the proposal approved by the council, residents raised concerns over the character of the buildings, and City Council members agreed.

“That was one of the problems with their proposal -- no one liked their architecture,” Forbes said. “What the council approved was just a footprint of the buildings and the site plan.”

Before any construction can start on the site, a new building plan must be submitted to the council and to the city Planning Board.

In the coming months, the Platt Co. will discuss the project with the community, Goldsmith said.

“When we first came through with the design, we did not solicit enough public input,” he said. “We hope that the new design based on ample public input will gain universal approval.”

Forbes predicted that between compiling public input, designing the buildings and gaining City Council approval for the buildings’ designs, the developer will not begin construction for at least a year.

“The city wants to have final approval,” she said.

* LAUREN HILGERS covers education. She may be reached at (818) 637-3205 or by e-mail at lauren.hilgers@latimes.com.