Less editorializing on Rancho District, please

I’m a 10-year resident of the Media District, not the Rancho District. But I think Rancho residents responded reasonably and responsibly in rejecting New Urban West’s revised proposal for the former GM training center site (“Rancho and its knee-jerk response,” Feb.11).

This is a special neighborhood. Fifty two-story homes on five acres is more dense than, and not in keeping with, the surrounding neighborhood. And the plan doesn’t accommodate keeping horses (outside of the short-term offer to board at the equestrian center).

What is happening in the Rancho is also endemic of what is happening all over Burbank, including in the Empire Center area and the Media District: Burbank has “filled in” in the past 10 to 15 years, traffic has worsened, and some mitigations are left unfinished. There is disagreement between residents and city officials over interpretations of development agreements, and despite engagement with City Council, it sometimes takes legal representation to get some answers and work things out.

We’re all affected by development, and at the same time, we want the city to thrive. It’s important to keep in mind that Burbank residents really care about their community and are working to improve it every day.

I admire the Rancho; we should all be as organized. In the future, it would be great to see more in-depth reporting about all development concerns and less editorializing that reduces engagement to a “knee-jerk response.”

Julie D’Angelo

Burbank