Athletic Club owner sues city over 24 Fitness plans

The owner of the Burbank Athletic Club is suing to block the city from allowing a 24 Hour Fitness Super Sport center to open on Empire Avenue.

David Bedrossian, along with longtime city critic Mike Nolan, filed the lawsuit last month claiming the May 18 approval of the 24 Hour Fitness in the 1900 block of Empire did not meet city codes.

The lawsuit filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court contends the city failed to comply with its own procedures and ignored potential parking problems related to the proposed gym.

Burbank city spokesman Keith Sterling declined to comment on the litigation, but said city officials were “vigorously defending our position and the decision that was made.”

The proposed 24 Hour Fitness has been a source of controversy for months. In January, the City Council rejected the original proposal for a long-vacant industrial building, contending it lacked adequate parking and would cause traffic problems.

Then in February, the city told developer Brett Warner he could revise and resubmit the plans — an unusual allowance. The new proposal included parking concessions and a promise that areas designated for office space, child care and retail would not be converted to workout space.

On May 18, the Burbank City Council voted 3-2 to approve the gym.

Bedrossian and Nolan claim the council should have routed the revised project back to the planning board before holding a second council vote.

According to the lawsuit, “The record reflects that the City Council was aware that it could not make the required findings to support approval of the revised project, but approved the revised project anyway based on economic considerations.”

The men also claim in the lawsuit that the property is too small for the planned project, lacks adequate parking and that the rooftop basketball court violates height restrictions.

Neither Bedorssian nor Nolan returned calls seeking comment.

Subsequent to approving the gym, the City Council in May rejected a proposed Gold’s Gym at The Burbank Collection, contending it was a poor fit for the downtown area.