Paul Clinton
CIVIC CENTER -- For Planning Board member Greg Jackson, the
million-dollar question about the Burbank Empire Center has been
answered.
Though it has been dogged by community concerns about environmental
contamination at the planned location -- a longtime airport manufacturing
assembly line for Lockheed Martin Corp. -- Jackson said the $200-million
retail and hotel development poses no health risks.
"I think the toxic issues were explained very well," Jackson said
after hearing from numerous consultants during Monday's nearly six-hour
Planning Board meeting.
The five-member panel will pick up its discussion of the massive
development at 5 p.m. Monday. The board will continue debating the merits
of the center even though the public input session was closed.
Jackson said he didn't see any major snags that would prevent the
board from recommending the project to the City Council, which is
tentatively set to consider it June 6.
In March 1999, Los Angeles-based Zelman Development Companies agreed
to pay Lockheed $69 million for the 103-acre former Plant B-1 property.
Zelman has proposed a commercial center with a mix of retail stores,
office space and two hotels for the site. Initially, Zelman planned to
put an auto dealership on a 12-acre section of the property, but that
deal fell through earlier this year.
On Monday, city planners presented a list of 145 conditions Zelman
must meet to build the project. The conditions require Zelman to soften
expected impacts that run the gamut from increased traffic to new
competition with nearby retail stores, City Planner Paul Deibel said.
To help alleviate congestion, Zelman has agreed to pay the city $10
million for traffic-related improvements.
Questions raised by activists about health risks -- several toxic
chemicals have been found at the property -- were put to rest Monday,
Jackson said, when consultants walked the board through the environmental
impact report.
"I'm not a toxic scientist," Jackson said. "But it's the most thorough
EIR I've ever seen."
But Jackson said he was still concerned about the project creating
competition for existing businesses, including a proposed Staples office
supply store, which could draw customers away from the Office Depot on
Burbank Boulevard.
"It's not our position to dictate what businesses come in (to
Burbank)," Jackson said. "But is there enough need for paper clips and
staplers to sustain the two?"
