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City staff to recirculate Media District Specific Plan draft EIR after infrastructure analysis

Burbank City Council and Housing Authority · April 22, 2026

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Summary

City planners told the council April 21 they will recirculate the draft program EIR for the Media District Specific Plan after adding a "sustainable infrastructure" alternative to respond to community comments about long-term infrastructure capacity; recirculation will trigger a minimum 45-day comment period before staff prepares a final EIR.

City planning staff updated the council April 21 on the status of several specific plans, focusing on the Media District Specific Plan (MDSP). Amanda Landry, a principal planner, told the council the draft program environmental impact report (EIR) for the MDSP was circulated and returned with numerous community comments emphasizing infrastructure concerns. Staff proposed a new "sustainable infrastructure" alternative to more accurately reflect long-term infrastructure capacity and the city's realistic development potential.

Because state law requires consideration of project alternatives, staff said they must recirculate the draft EIR to include the new alternative. Landry said recirculation will impose a minimum 45-day public comment period before staff prepares the final EIR; after that the project would be reviewed by the Planning Commission and then the City Council. "This alternative considers the cumulative impact of growth and development and the city's realistic development capacity," she said.

Staff framed the specific plans as tools to help the city meet housing goals and state RHNA obligations (the city is working toward local goals of up to 12,000 dwelling units by 2035 and a RHNA allocation of 8,772 units by 2029). Staff said the MDSP process will inform other specific-plan efforts and help streamline future project review.

Next steps: Staff will recirculate the draft EIR, accept public comments for the minimum 45-day period, prepare mandatory environmental findings and, if significant impacts remain, a statement of overriding considerations, then proceed to Planning Commission and City Council review.