California Senate Bill 35 (2017 Legislative session) created a streamlined and ministerial approval process for certain housing projects under Government Code §65913.4. SB 35 mandates that projects meeting certain specified criteria must be processed through a streamlined, ministerial approval process and shall not be subject to a conditional use permit or any other discretionary review. The City may only evaluate the proposal against objective zoning standards, objective subdivision standards, and objective design review standards in effect at the time the completed notice of intent is submitted to the City.

Prior to accepting an application under the SB 35 Streamlined Ministerial Approval Process and after receiving a Notice of Intent to submit an SB 35 application, the City must notify relevant California Native American tribes about the proposed development. A Notice of Intent (“NOI”) to submit an SB 35 application shall be initiated through the submittal of the City’s SB 35 Application Form.

Applicants intending to invoke the SB 35 streamlining and ministerial approval process must fill out City’s SB35 NOI Application and Supplemental Application - Eligibility Chekclist and provide supporting documentation for each checklist item (as applicable) to demonstrate eligibility. If there is no tribal response to the NOI or an agreement reached in a tribal scoping consultation and the NOI process is deemed complete and eligible for SB 35 streamlined ministerial review and approval. If there is no agreement reached, a project is not eligible for SB 35 approval. A complete description of the law and the process is included in the SB 35 Government Code Section 65913.4 and HCD Guidelines.

Source - BURBANKca.gov

California Environmental Quality Act -The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pronounced “SEE-kwuh” serves to:

Disclose to the public the significant environmental effects of a proposed discretionary project, through the preparation of an initial study, negative declaration, mitigated negative declaration, or environmental impact report.

2023 CEQA Statute & Guidelines 2023
(click to view)

The Sb-35 Eligibility Checklist - includes [URBAN INFILL.] The project must be located on a legal parcel or parcels within the incorporated City limits.

At least 75 percent of the perimeter of the site must adjoin parcels that are developed with urban uses. For purposes of SB 35, “urban uses” means any current or former residential, commercial, public institutional, transit or transportation passenger facility, or retail use, or any combination of those uses. Parcels that are only separated by a street or highway shall be considered adjoined.

Circle K was a horse boarding facility in Burbank at 910 South Mariposa, located adjacent to a trail riding business called Studio Horse Rentals, as well as the bridge connecting equestrians to 50+ miles of Griffith Park trails.

Now vacant, the land was purchased by Butterfly Gardens LL. Who wishes to develop into 23 luxury condos.

“Built in the late 1930s and dedicated in March 1939, it had the backing of cowboy celebrity Gene Autry at the time and was requested as “a suitable bridge for pedestrians and equestrians,” according to a city resolution from August 1938.

It is at the corner of Mariposa and Valley heart and is the entrance into the trail systems that navigate Griffith Park. The bridge allows access to Martinez Arena. Which is a free to use public enclosed arena for horse riding or turn out. For non-horse people, it’s where horse owners can allow their horses to get out their zoomies, bucks, and dirt baths.

Burbank does not have any other enclosed spaces for exercising horses. For many people who keep their horses in their backyard this is their only access to an arena. This very important because horses require exercise and open space to remain healthy.

The Mariposa Bridge is less than 100feet away from 910 South Mariposa. Which is why equestrians and members of the community are concerned about safety.

LAEC aka Los Angeles Equestrian Center is a 75-acre world-class equestrian complex located within Griffith Park.

Featuring many breeds and disciplines

Over 50 equestrian events & clinics a year

Over 500 boarding stalls

19 horse trainers of different disciplines

Direct access and ride out ability onto the Rancho Bridle path.

A few yards from the Mariposa Bridge.

It is the LLC which bought 910 South Mariposa. Garen Gozumian and his partner are what appear to be inexperienced developers, who are on the mission to build and flip. They originally put in an application to develop commercial office spaces at the address. Oddly, they switched gears and re-submitted an application with a new plan to develop luxury condos, exploiting SB-35.

A formal meeting at which a local governing body hears testimony from the public at large on a specific issue, such as a zoning change or other proposed government action.