What would Burbank's Media District plan update change?

If you’re considering buying or selling in Burbank’s Media District, the proposed plan update raises a practical question: what could change around the property? The proposal addresses residential density, building heights, development review and neighborhood protections. It hasn’t been adopted.

Start with the property’s proposed map designation, then look at the standards that would apply beside residential zones. A districtwide maximum doesn’t tell you what would be allowed at a particular property.

Where does the proposed update stand?

As of October 27, 2026: the Burbank City Council will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers at City Hall, 275 E. Olive Avenue, to consider Project No. 22-0003509, the Media District Specific Plan Update.

The Planning Commission considered the project on September 28, 2026, and voted 5-0 to adopt a resolution recommending the project actions. Nothing is adopted yet.

myBurbank’s October 21 hearing report outlines the upcoming hearing. The project website says the staff report and agenda will be posted online before the meeting. You can also check the meeting agendas and minutes page.

What area and housing goals does it cover?

The proposed update covers the 544-acre Media District in southwestern Burbank, including commercial, residential and industrial areas.

The original plan was adopted in 1991, primarily in response to concerns about development impacts from film studios. It aimed to preserve single-family neighborhood character by minimizing impacts from adjacent development.

The City of Burbank’s plan page describes the update, developed in partnership with the Southern California Association of Governments, as focusing on removing housing production barriers, streamlining permitting and introducing practical design standards.

Section 5.2 connects the proposed plan to citywide housing goals: accommodating up to 12,000 dwelling units by 2035 and meeting the 6th Cycle Housing Element (2021 to 2029) Regional Housing Needs Allocation of 8,772 units. Those aren’t Media District totals. The plan says the district has approximately 2,500 housing units today.

What would the Council be deciding?

The Council is being asked to consider environmental findings, General Plan amendments, adoption of the proposed update and introduction of an implementing ordinance.

The requested environmental actions include certifying the Final Environmental Impact Report with the Sustainable Infrastructure Alternative as the Preferred Project. They also include adopting a Mitigation Monitoring Reporting Program, a Statement of Overriding Considerations and CEQA findings.

The remaining actions would amend the Burbank2035 General Plan Land Use Element and Land Use Map, adopt the proposed update by resolution, and introduce an ordinance amending Title 10, Chapter 1 of the Burbank Municipal Code.

Introduction is a first step for the ordinance. It doesn’t establish that the ordinance would take effect on November 10.

The project materials identify a Recirculated Draft Program EIR public review period from July 11, 2026, to August 24, 2026. Check the city’s environmental documents and hearing materials for the agency’s findings.

What heights and densities are proposed?

The proposed maps contain several maximum density and height categories, so you need the designation for the property you’re considering.

Figure 7-1 in the October 2026 final plan document lists maximum residential densities of 0, 27, 43, 58 and 87 dwelling units per acre. It also lists Planned Development at 58 dwelling units per acre with discretionary approval.

Figure 7-5 lists proposed maximum building and structure heights of 40, 50, 85 and 205 feet, plus Planned Development. These are map legend categories, not a statement that every property could reach the highest number.

N. noticed the Media District plan update because the November 10 hearing appeared in a neighborhood notice, not because she had been following the planning process. She owns a condo near the district and wanted to know whether the update would immediately change what could happen on the next block. We separated the upcoming hearing from any final rules and then looked at why a specific plan matters in the first place. The notice became less alarming once she understood it as a point in an ongoing process rather than a completed change.

What would apply next to residential zones?

If adopted, Section 7.2.3.5 C.3 would direct development abutting or adjacent to a single-family or multiple-family residential zone to comply with the step-back and buffer area requirements of BMC Section 10-1-920(B)(4), as may be amended.

Proposed Policy 1.7 also calls for height and intensity near single-family neighborhoods to be compatible with what is permitted in the neighborhood. It calls for graduated height limits, allowing increased height as distance from single-family properties increases.

Ask Planning how the proposed map and those standards would work together at the property. The height legend alone leaves that question unanswered.

Which projects could receive faster review?

Under the proposed update, certain projects could receive streamlined ministerial development review, but exact eligibility criteria would be established through a subsequent regulatory action.

Chapter 10 says those criteria would generally include:

• A housing development project, as defined in Gov. Code 65589.5, on an opportunity site identified in the plan and EIR.
• A housing development project with no more than 150 units on property designated for a maximum density of 87 dwelling units per acre.
• A commercial project with no more than 10,000 square feet of adjusted gross floor area for a permitted use.

The proposed text says all other development projects would be considered discretionary projects. Don’t read the categories as a completed eligibility determination.

Section 10.3 says the city should pursue a Lot Consolidation Program. Owner-initiated lot mergers would be ministerial upon adoption of local regulations.

Would neighborhood protection and permit parking change?

The proposed update calls for evaluation of existing Neighborhood Protection Plans and further parking analysis; it doesn’t establish a new permit rule for every local street.

The 1991 plan established Neighborhood Protection Plans for Rancho, Alameda North and Toluca Lake. The proposed update says they should be evaluated based on additional allowable growth. Future updates should consider community feedback and boundaries that include nearby residential areas otherwise excluded.

Existing measures include speed humps, street closures, crosswalks and permit parking programs.

Section 8.11.3.1 describes yearly permits on certain residential streets for vehicles registered to the home address. The district uses both “No Parking Except by Permit” and “Time Limited Except by Permit” streets, but not on all local streets. The plan says further analysis of on-street parking supply and demand will be conducted.

The short version

The Media District update remains proposed, and your property’s map designation is the starting point for understanding what it could mean.

Ask Planning at 818-238-5250 about proposed density, height, adjacent residential standards and review eligibility. If you’re preparing to sell, keep the pending proposal distinct from adopted rules when reviewing the seller disclosure guide.

Related reading for separate property questions: the ADU rules guide and Burbank soft-story retrofit guide.

This guide is educational, not legal or tax advice.

For a separate look at your property, use the home value tool.