HomeCity NewsRancho Residents Buck Proposal for Town Homes

Rancho Residents Buck Proposal for Town Homes

First published in the Jan. 7 print issue of the Glendale News-Press.

Gavin J. Quinton
Glendale News-Press

Save Glendale Riverside Rancho — a community organization representing Glendale Riverside Rancho, Los Angeles Equestrian Center and Burbank Rancho Equestrian District — is moving ahead with plans to oppose housing development along the Los Angeles River, including a potential project in Burbank under Senate Bill 35.
Last month, the Burbank City Council decided that a controversial proposal to build town homes in the Burbank Rancho neighborhood is eligible for a streamlined approval process under SB 35, bringing the plan a step closer to full approval.
The vote followed comments by a procession of opponents that the plan for 910 Mariposa St. in the equine-centric neighborhood would endanger horses and riders and disrupt activities there.
The six-building, 21-unit complex with 46 parking spaces, is proposed by Butterfly Gardens LLC, a three-person development team made up of Garen Gozumian, Charles Boyajian and Garo Manjikian.
A similar town home project just across Riverside Drive was approved in October. Developer Matt Waken seeks to replace Pickwick Bowl with 92 town home units. This proposal also generated public ire before being approved by the council in October.
The concerns of residents opposing the Mariposa proposal are the same: that higher-density housing will bring traffic and activity that could startle horses, causing accidents like one that occurred in 2019, when a horse was spooked by a sound and tossed its rider over a fence into the Los Angeles River.
“We disagree with their determination that this site location qualifies for SB 35,” said James DeCarli, a spokesman for Save Glendale Riverside Rancho. “We disagree with and are currently investigating the validity of their calculation of the 75% urban use requirement.”
Save Glendale Riverside Rancho also believes that the 46 included parking spaces would be insufficient for the volume of residents intended for the town home project, and that the number of residents, traffic density and construction sounds could endanger horses and riders.
The organization said this week it is working toward an injunction on the project due to it not qualifying under SB 35.
“Construction and horses do not mix,” said Linda Rappaport, a general contractor and horse rider who frequents the Griffith Park equestrian resources, during the meeting. “Who is going to be responsible for the serious accidents — or fatal ones — that may occur? The council that passes this measure. And if you do pass this measure, the equestrians are prepared to hire an attorney to sue.”
The Mariposa project is located near a bridge that in effect serves as Burbank’s only equestrian entrance to Griffith Park from the Rancho neighborhood.
“Horses could be going over that bridge, feel the compressive force from construction, and be triggered,” John Claus, another rider, told the council. “They don’t have much of an option but to take off running because they’re scared.
“None of us bring our kids around these horses and ponies to be hurt.”
The Burbank City Council denied Waken’s SB 35 application last year, triggering a series of lawsuits against the city by Waken, the law firm YIMBY and others. The city ultimately settled with Waken, with former Burbank Mayor Emily Gabel-Luddy signing as an intervener under her organization Friends of the Rancho for Equestrian Safety.
The agreement called for lower housing density, an equestrian trail and other pedestrian and equestrian safety measures and provides precautions to mitigate construction impacts to protect nearby residents, such as installation of sound blankets.
Burbank council members expressed sentiment that they do not have much say in the matter. Because the application submitted by the developer is for an expedited ministerial approval under SB 35, they, as local officials, are unable to deny a project that is eligible under the legislation’s requirements.
SB 35 requires cities that haven’t met the state’s lofty housing goals to grant streamlined approval to developments in which at least 10% of the units are classified as affordable housing. That is Butterfly Garden’s intent in the Mariposa project.
Because of that 10%, the City Council is beholden to SB 35’s requirements, meaning its members are unable to deny a project that qualifies under the bill. Planners and the Rancho community disagreed on whether the surrounding zoning and land uses qualified the Mariposa project for SB 35.

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