Foods Market

BURBANK — Developers of a proposed Whole Foods Market in the Rancho District have submitted a modified and scaled-back project that eliminates any need for variances to city codes and cuts nearly 8,000-square-feet from the building's original size. The project will be revisited at a public hearing on Tuesday, two weeks after the council asked the developer to return with a plan that would more closely match the character of the surrounding neighborhood. The revised project proposes an approximately 52,000-square-foot building that complies with city codes regarding requirements for setbacks, or the separation between the structure and the property line, said Michael Hastings, a consultant for developer Tom Davies.

CITY HALL—The developer of a proposal to put a Whole Foods Market in the Rancho District has rescinded his request for the council to consider a scaled-down project before rejecting the project outright. But at press deadline, the council had not yet voted on a resolution that would finalize the council's denial of the project. Developer Tom Davies had asked the council in a March 6 letter to delay codifying its Feb. 20 rejection of a 50,000-square-foot project in order to give him time to present design plans for a 40,000-square-foot alternative.

CITY HALL — The City Council on Tuesday gave the developer of a proposed 60,000-square-foot Whole Foods Market in the Rancho District two weeks to scale back the project size to more closely match the character of the neighborhood. The council opted to continue Tuesday's hearing on the proposal to Feb. 20, deliberating into the early morning hours after more than four hours of testimony from residents in two distinct camps: Those for the project, and those against it. The council's move is a step toward finding a middle ground, producing a project that could bring the Whole Foods Market to the Rancho District while attempting to respect community concerns.

BURBANK — Hundreds of shoppers crowded a parking lot Wednesday for the grand opening of natural grocer Henry’s Farmers Market, two years after residents effectively blocked a Whole Foods Market from moving into the city. The first customers walked through the doors at 9 a.m., after waiting in line for more than 16 hours in anticipation of free groceries. Each of the first 200 shoppers at the store got a reusable shopping bag filled with $75 worth of snacks, fruits, vitamins and other items, said Aimee Della Bitta, a marketing manager for Irvine-based Henry’s.

BURBANK — Hundreds of shoppers crowded a parking lot Wednesday for the grand opening of natural grocer Henry’s Farmers Market, two years after residents effectively blocked a Whole Foods Market from moving into the city. The first customers walked through the doors at 9 a.m., after waiting in line for more than 16 hours in anticipation of free groceries. Each of the first 200 shoppers at the store got a reusable shopping bag filled with $75 worth of snacks, fruits, vitamins and other items, said Aimee Della Bitta, a marketing manager for Irvine-based Henry’s.

WHOLE FOODS PROJECT The council will revisit a proposal to construct a Whole Foods Market in the Rancho District. The council at its Feb. 6 meeting asked project developers to scale back the project size to more closely match the character of the neighborhood. The council's move is a step toward finding a middle ground, producing a project that could bring the Whole Foods Market to the Rancho District while attempting to respect community concerns, Councilman Jef Vander Borght said.

This letter only serves as a means to further the understanding of the serious impact on our community and the neighborhood surrounding the proposed building site located at Main Street and Alameda Avenue. It is not intended to criticize Whole Foods Market, which I think is a fine food market, nor is it a detailed discussion of individuals, theoretical studies or site location. But rather a discussion of potential serious problems, their interface interrelationships and the extent of our City Council to properly analyze the potential serious problems.

BURBANK — Hundreds of shoppers crowded a parking lot Wednesday for the grand opening of natural grocer Henry’s Farmers Market, two years after residents effectively blocked a Whole Foods Market from moving into the city. The first customers walked through the doors at 9 a.m., after waiting in line for more than 16 hours in anticipation of free groceries. Each of the first 200 shoppers at the store got a reusable shopping bag filled with $75 worth of snacks, fruits, vitamins and other items, said Aimee Della Bitta, a marketing manager for Irvine-based Henry’s.

BURBANK — Hundreds of shoppers crowded a parking lot Wednesday for the grand opening of natural grocer Henry’s Farmers Market, two years after residents effectively blocked a Whole Foods Market from moving into the city. The first customers walked through the doors at 9 a.m., after waiting in line for more than 16 hours in anticipation of free groceries. Each of the first 200 shoppers at the store got a reusable shopping bag filled with $75 worth of snacks, fruits, vitamins and other items, said Aimee Della Bitta, a marketing manager for Irvine-based Henry’s.

BURBANK — Hundreds of shoppers crowded the parking lot of Henry’s Farmers Market Wednesday for the grand opening of what officials characterized as the city’s first major natural foods grocery store. The first customers walked through the doors at 9 a.m. after waiting in line for more than 16 hours in hopes of getting free groceries. Each of the first 200 shoppers at the store received a reusable shopping bag filled with $75 worth of snacks, fruits, vitamins and other groceries, said Aimee Della Bitta, a marketing manager for Henry’s.

Maybe Whole Foods has a place now I am a new Burbank resident, but have always enjoyed spending time here, going to the movies or shopping. With the current economy and drop in spending, we are seeing a lot of businesses either closing their doors or leaving town. With the closing of Circuit City (“Circuit City stores go into liquidation,” Business Spotlight, Jan. 21), I think the city has an opportunity to bring great retailers to Burbank. Whole Foods is doing well, and according to a recent Fortune magazine’s 2009 list of the “100 Best Companies to Work For,” Whole Foods Market is 22nd.

I watch the City Council meetings on Channel 6 but don?t attend them as often as I should. The frustration I felt Tuesday night was a reminder of why. I could have saved myself the trip to City Hall and just spoke to the TV screen. It would have been about as productive. During the public comment period of the evening I made note of the recent spate of retail closings in the city, specifically the loss of Shoe Pavilion and Linens ?N? Things at the Empire Center. A few years ago when I ran for City Council I suggested a moratorium on the construction of big box retailers in the city because I warned this very thing we?

CITY HALL — The City Council, constrained by the absence of Councilwoman Marsha Ramos, failed to reach a decision Tuesday on a new set of restrictions for markets in the Rancho District, exasperating residents who have battled against having large food stores in the area. The council considered two new measures that would have limited the size of markets in the Rancho District, months after a proposed Whole Foods Market, planned for the corner of Alameda Avenue and Main Street, was deemed incompatible with the neighborhood.

The first of three study sessions to examine possible changes to Burbank?s next fiscal year budget is set for 5 p.m. Tuesday, an hour before the council convenes for its regularly scheduled meeting. The City Council is expected to hear from six city department heads who are slated to detail any proposed budget changes for the 2008-09 financial year. WHAT TO EXPECT Two more budget study sessions are scheduled for May 20 and 27 in anticipation of the June 17 council meeting, when the budget is scheduled to be adopted.

It is late December in the Rancho District. Multicolored lights and Christmas displays adorn quaint homes with neatly manicured yards. Neighbors out for a walk stop for a quick chat, as their dogs sniff each other out on the sidewalk. Horses trod imperially in front of the equestrian center on Riverside Drive. It’s hard to believe that nine months ago, this neighborhood was embroiled in a bitter debate that pitted some Rancho residents against one another over a plan to put a Whole Foods Market on the corner of Main Street and Alameda Avenue.

The City Council's decision to require grocery store developers to get a conditional-use permit before building in the Rancho District was a good first step. It tightens development standards for anyone proposing a grocery store in the district by requiring the Planning Board's approval. Ultimately, that should bring more power to residents, because the board's decision could be appealed to the City Council — who represent the will of local residents. Before, it was left up to planning staff to approve such projects if they met code requirements.