After three earlier attempts, Burbank Hills residents get their gates

The fourth time’s the charm for Burbank Hills residents, who for decades have sought the city’s approval for exit and entrance gates in their private hillside neighborhood.

The Burbank City Council on Tuesday approved in a 4-0 vote plans to construct the swinging gates, which had been denied three times before due to concerns that first responders would have trouble accessing the neighborhood in an emergency situation.

Technology, however, has evolved, officials said, and an attorney representing the Burbank Hills Homeowners Assn. said Tuesday that the gates will be equipped to open automatically upon detecting emergency-vehicle sirens or strobe lights.

Key cards residents will use to open the gates will be available to city personnel upon request, and the pedestrian entrances will remain unobstructed, officials said.

Councilman Jess Talamantes recused himself from the discussion and vote, citing that he had family members who lived in the community.

The entrance and exit gates are slated to be constructed both on Castleman and Wedgewood lanes, just off of Lamer Street.

The homeowners association has reportedly agreed to staff a security guard at the existing guard shack on Castleman Lane around the clock, and will also leave the Castleman Lane gates open at peak hours, between 7 and 10 a.m. and 4 to 7 p.m., to mitigate traffic impacts.

According to the association president, 102 of the 130 Burbank Hills households support the project.

Not everyone at Tuesday’s meeting, however, spoke in favor of the proposal. That included homeowners who live closest to the proposed gates, who worried about the potential traffic buildup and noise around the gates.

Meanwhile, residents who live at the top of the hill and support the gates reported constantly dealing with loitering by visitors who leave trash — including used condoms, bottles and cigarette butts — near their homes.

“I am in tears on the weekends when I see the piles of cigarette butts,” said Burbank Hills resident Laurel Pulvers. “Those cigarette butts are one step away from a fire that could destroy our homes, our lives, our neighbors’ homes.”

While council members stated that they were, in general, against gating residential neighborhoods in Burbank, they supported the gates for the private hillside community, the residents of which bear the financial brunt of street and neighborhood maintenance.

“I also believe, as a police officer, an ounce of prevention, and anything you can do to deter crime, is a good investment,” Councilman Bob Frutos said.