Letter to the Editor:
As AI has become an existential economic threat to traditional Hollywood production, Burbank taxpayers are becoming dominated by another kind of AI, the ambivalent intelligence of elected politicians, housed in a strange group mindstate-run political factory named City Hall. On YouTube, 12/12/24, CALL ME CHATO discussed “is entertainment a trillion dollar waste of time?”, its presenter concludes that, mostly, the question’s answer is NO. (Indeed, imagine a sell-off of studio property on a scale at least equivalent to the self-off during the 1970s of backlots and props.) Soon, the post-12/17/24 Burbank City Council will become a functioning financial leverage tool of developers and real-estate renovators. There are markedly few authentic city-preservationists still present. Just an impression, but the 12/10 televised meeting of the Council gave me the distinct takeaway that the Council is as dismissive of the city’s Equestrian District as it previously demonstrated itself to be on reafforestation of Burbank!
For initial official announcements, Burbankers equipped with Internet-access can at any time click on THE BURBANK CHANNEL. It’s unfortunate that this useful news medium has evolved very little since its inauguration on 9/7/12. While it is a vital taxpayer-funded educational resource allegedly meant to foster citizens’ grasp of the complex infrastructure dynamics of Burbank’s incessant development, it remains ineffective in stimulating active Burbanker engagement in real-world urban planning processes. Its presentations often equate to some old, only slight funny, episodes of the TV series “WKRP in Cincinnati”.
Co-creation of 2025’s City of Burbank by empowered politicians (plus nominally subservient professional bureaucrats) and information-endowed, improvement-dedicated taxpayers is a worthwhile constructive approach to beneficial Burbank developments that truly involves stakeholders and end-users in the majority-agreed, voted property development actions. City-attractiveness is a key component for the sustained economic state of Burbank, facilitating the integration of LA County-wide development strategies with the overarching goal of city cohesion. For sure, discretion in the lightly-supervised hands and minds of hired bureaucrats is a dangerous situation.
So, to repeat the wisdom of a former President of the American Institute of Architects, Mr. Carl Elefante: “The greenest building is the one that is already built” [GOTO: https://carleefante.com/insights/the-greenest-building-is/.] As the Safari Inn is valuable, so are the 40 Maui Apartments on West Olive Avenue! Extended debate on renovation evictions might best happen via telecasts with timely call-ins on THE BURBANK CHANNEL. Coming to terms in Burbank with the extant, the well-financed presence of extra-city LLC renovationists, then means judisous retrofits and adaptive re-use of our most beloved buildings, not interminable expensive new-builds–such as the building condos of the Equestrian District–that are exclusivelly catered to wealthy non-Burbankers.Richard B. CathcartBurbank
I asked an AI to summarize this. Is this an accurate summary?
The article expresses concern about the future of Burbank, California, due to several factors:
* AI Threat: Artificial intelligence (AI) is seen as a threat to traditional Hollywood production, a major industry in Burbank.
* Developer Influence: The City Council is perceived as favoring developers and real estate interests over residents’ concerns. This is evident in the dismissive attitude towards the Equestrian District and reafforestation efforts.
* Ineffective Communication: The city’s communication channel, THE BURBANK CHANNEL, is seen as outdated and failing to actively engage residents in urban planning.
The author proposes solutions:
* Co-creation: Collaborative efforts between empowered politicians, informed residents, and bureaucrats for sustainable development.
* Preservation: Judicious renovation and reuse of existing buildings rather than expensive new constructions that benefit outsiders. The article cites the wisdom of architect Carl Elefante: “The greenest building is the one that is already built.”
The author suggests using THE BURBANK CHANNEL for interactive discussions, like live call-ins, to address issues such as potential evictions during renovations.
Overall, the article advocates for responsible development that considers the economic and cultural well-being of Burbank residents. It criticizes the current approach and proposes citizen involvement and responsible renovation as alternatives.
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