Ruth Davidson-Guerra, Asst. Community Development Director for Housing and Redevelopment

PURPOSE

The purpose of this report is to provide information to the City Council to consider a proposed resolution for the conditional vacation of a portion of Elmwood Avenue located west of San Fernando Boulevard and south of Cedar Avenue (Exhibit A).

BACKGROUND

The applicant, Crown 725 Associates LLC, is requesting the vacation of Elmwood Avenue. Crown 725 Associates LLC owns the properties on all sides of the street to be vacated. This portion of Elmwood Avenue extends through and adjacent to the applicant�s property.  Crown 725 Associates LLC has no immediate development plans for the proposed vacated area and will retain it as main access through their property.  Approval of this vacation will allow Crown 725 to control and secure their property.  Attached is a copy of letter from Crown 725 Associates LLC regarding their request for vacation (Exhibit C).

There is also a segment of an alley, 15-feet by 15-feet, adjacent to the westerly end of Elmwood Avenue that is still a public alley.  The City proposes to include this small segment in the proposed vacation.  The remainder of the alley was vacated in December, 1997 per Resolution 25,197, but the small segment was retained for a turn-around at the end of Elmwood Avenue.

ANALYSIS

The proposed portion of Elmwood Avenue to be vacated no longer serves a public purpose since the applicant owns the surrounding parcels. There is no public pedestrian or vehicular traffic along this portion of Elmwood Avenue or in the alley portion to the rear which was retained for turn-around purposes.

All appropriate City departments and all outside utilities have reviewed the proposed vacation including Pacific Bell, Charter Communications, the Gas Company, and the Los Angeles Department of Public Works (Exhibit D).

The proposed vacation has been conditioned by The Gas Company and Pacific Bell requesting that a permanent easement be retained for their facilities and operations and maintenance.

There are no other comments or conditions to the proposed vacation.  The applicant is aware of all the conditions and has agreed to accept them.  The vacation reserves a public utility easement for the existing public utility facilities in the vacated portion of Elmwood Avenue.

Pursuant to the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), this proposed vacation is Categorically Exempt by Section 15301 pertaining to existing facilities involving negligible or non expansion of the use.

The following is a summary of comments received:

Building Division � No Objections

Public Works Department � No Objections

Police Department � No Objections

Fire Department � No Objections

BWP Electrical � No Objections

 BWP Water  � No Objections

Park, Recreation and Community Services - No Objections

OUTSIDE AGENCIES AND PUBLIC UTILITIES

Southern California Gas Company � Request a permanent easement to permit their continued use and operation of their facilities in their present location.

SBC Communications � Request a permanent easement to permit their continued use and operation of their facilities in their present location.

Charter Communications � No Objections

County of Los Angeles Public Works � No Objections

All procedures for routing the application for comment, notification mailing, publication of public hearing notice, and posting at the proposed areas of vacation were performed in accordance with the Burbank Municipal Code and the State Streets and Highways Code.

FISCAL IMPACT

The adoption of the Resolution to Vacate will have no fiscal impact on the City.

RECOMMENDATION

Staff recommends that the City Council adopt the proposed resolution.

EXHIBITS

Exhibit A          Map V-369

Exhibit B          Resolution of Intention to vacate V-369

Exhibit C          Letter from Crown 725 Associates regarding use of property

Exhibit D          Comments from City Departments and outside public utilities

Exhibit E           Photos of  area to be vacated

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