COUNCIL SEEKS MIX OF RESTAURANTS, SHOPS.Byline: Alex Dobuzinskis Staff Writer BURBANK - The City Council on Tuesday moved toward creating more of an equal mix of retail shops and restaurants in its downtown area by requiring that restaurants get special approval before opening there. City officials said the addition of several new restaurants to the downtown area in recent years has tilted tilt 1 v. tilt·ed, tilt·ing, tilts v.tr. 1. To cause to slope, as by raising one end; incline: tilt a soup bowl; tilt a chair backward. 2. the balance toward restaurants and away from retail shops. Council members said the city needs to be able to decide which types of businesses go into the downtown. ``I think this is an effort to maintain momentum and make sure that there's an infusion of energy into the downtown area,'' said City Councilman Todd Campbell. The council voted unanimously to approve an ordinance A law, statute, or regulation enacted by a Municipal Corporation. An ordinance is a law passed by a municipal government. A municipality, such as a city, town, village, or borough, is a political subdivision of a state within which a municipal corporation has been under which any new restaurant coming into the downtown would need approval from the community development director before it could open. That decision could be appealed to the Planning Board Noun 1. planning board - a board appointed to advise the chief administrator advisory board governance, governing body, organisation, administration, brass, establishment, organization - the persons (or committees or departments etc. and then to the City Council. City officials would evaluate potential new restaurants based on how many square feet they would cover, what kinds of improvements they would make to the sites, whether they would contribute to the downtown mix and how they would affect the availability of parking, said Community Development Director Sue Georgino. The city provides public parking for businesses in the downtown area and is studying what amount of parking sit-down restaurants require versus fast food restaurants. The ordinance approved by the council, which requires final approval next week, would sunset in two years, and, by that time, officials plan to have permanent regulations they could use to evaluate new restaurants coming into the downtown. Burbank officials got a favorable fa·vor·a·ble adj. 1. Advantageous; helpful: favorable winds. 2. Encouraging; propitious: a favorable diagnosis. 3. response to the proposed ordinance from downtown business owners. ``We had some considerable support for this because they don't want the street to become overpowered o·ver·pow·er tr.v. o·ver·pow·ered, o·ver·pow·er·ing, o·ver·pow·ers 1. To overcome or vanquish by superior force; subdue. 2. To affect so strongly as to make helpless or ineffective; overwhelm. 3. by retail or restaurants; they want a balance,'' Georgino said. In giving more scrutiny to new restaurants coming into the downtown area, Burbank officials are mindful mind·ful adj. Attentive; heedful: always mindful of family responsibilities. See Synonyms at careful. mind of the experiences of Santa Monica Santa Monica (săn`tə mŏn`ĭkə), city (1990 pop. 86,905), Los Angeles co., S Calif., on Santa Monica Bay; inc. 1886. Tourism and retailing are important, and the city has motion-picture, biotechnology, and software industries. in trying to establish a balance of retail shops and restaurants on its Third Street Promenade The Third Street Promenade is a pedestrian street in Santa Monica, California, United States. It is considered one of the premier shopping destinations in West Los Angeles and frequently draws crowds from all over Los Angeles County. . Years ago, the city tried to attract more retailers and now it has too many retailers and is trying to get more restaurants, said senior planner Joy Forbes. Alex Dobuzinskis, (818) 546-3304 alex.dobuzinskis(at)dailynews.com |
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