New land use regulations could bring thousands of homes and new commercial development to the Burbank Media District.

Burbank Planning officials are currently conducting an update to the Media District specific plan, the first overhaul of zoning rules which were put into effect in the early 1990s. The overall 544-acre plan area is located in the southwest corner of Burbank, and is bounded by the Magnolia Park neighborhood to the north, South Keystone street to the east, the Los Angeles River to the south, and Toluca Lake to the west.

While 212 acres of the specific plan area are developed with multimedia studios, and thus unlikely to yield new housing development, there are a number of underutilized properties within its boundaries that have been identified by the city as opportunity sites for either infill construction or adaptive reuse. These include sites along Alameda Avenue between Keystone Street and Hollywood Way, the area between California Street and Bob Hope Drive along the 134 Freeway, the triangle between Lima Street, Alameda, and Olive Avenues. Density is expected to be focused toward the center of the media district, targeting sites such as surface parking lots, rather than R1 and R2 adjacent areas.

Opportunity sites for housing in the specific planCity of Burbank

As explained in a notice of preparation, the specific plan update would permit 125 percent of the allowed plan area density within sites where residential uses are allowed - including opportunity sites, which would also be permitted up to 100 percent of non-residential development intensity. Parcels which are not designated opportunity sites would see their non-residential development intensity limited to 33 percent of what is currently allowed under the Burbank General Plan, a change which would likely shift interest to opportunity sites.

The specific plan would also update standards for building and street design, while also introducing a transfer of development rights program. Implementation of the new rules is expected to permit the construction of up to 4,627 new residential units and nearly 2.5 million square feet of commercial uses.

Even before new zoning regulations are set to take effect, Burbank's Media District has already seen several new proposals for housing - including mixed-use buildings in the works at 4100 Riverside Drive and 3201 Olive Avenue. And as the neighborhood's name would imply, the production campuses which make up so much of its land area have also seen new investment, including a pair of Frank Gehry-designed office buildings for Warner Bros. and an upcoming revamp of the Warner Bros. Ranch.

In addition to the Media District, Burbank has also moved to rezone its downtown and airport-adjacent neighborhoods in a bid to bring new housing to the city.

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