Racing Cars, Loitering, Littering Leaves Starlight Estates Neighborhood Frustrated

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(Photo by Ross A Benson)

Ongoing disturbances plaguing the Burbank Starlight Estates neighborhood have come to a head in recent months and erupted with the outbreak of a man-made fire on Thursday night.

Just after 8 pm an officer was patrolling the area and noticed a group circled around a bush that appeared to be on fire. The officer then called upon the Burbank Fire Department and used a fire extinguisher to maintain the fire, which is believed to have been caused by setting off fireworks,  until BFD personnel arrived.

“Several minors were detained and interviewed,” said Sergeant Derek Green, Public Information Officer of the Burbank Police Department. “Collectively as a group, the minors admitted to being responsible for lighting the firework[s]. A police report was taken and the incident is under further investigation.”

Green also stated that there have been “roughly 170 activities related to the Starlight Estates” just over the past month, including both calls for service and activities initiated by officers.

Although it’s commonplace to find visitors admiring the overlook of the city from the Starlight Hills, this incident comes after community members have noticed an escalation of disrespect from groups of teenagers and young adults who frequent the area, particularly over the past few months.

(Photo by Ross A Benson)

Rodney and Stephanie Brown are a married couple who have lived in Burbank for 20 years. They’ve resided at the Starlight Estates for the past eight years and initially felt attracted to the area due to its tranquil atmosphere, but there has been a gradual shift towards more disorder as intruders impose upon the neighborhood. 

“It’s a beautiful view,” Rodney said. “And [at first] people would come and walk up and take the view and then leave. And so that was pretty much the extent of it. But over time, it just became more and more and the crowd became younger kids just looking for a place to hang out.”

The groups that regularly spend their time at the estates usually cause a commotion racing their loud cars and littering throughout the streets and yards.

“Some of them are loud and then they race… And it makes a loud noise at night when you’re trying to sleep,” Rodney added. “…And what has really exasperated is the problem is with COVID,  these kids are just looking for a place to hang out because they can’t hang out in restaurants or whatever. So they’re bringing their food up there. They’re hanging out and then they’re leaving their trash.”

Burbank fire trucks line up in response to a brush fire started by fireworks at the Starlight Estates neighborhood. (Photo by Ross A Benson)

Stephanie Brown spoke on the brazen nature of the groups, who usually come by at 6:30pm and stay in the area until midnight or so.

“I saw someone [outside] one-time taking photos with no shirt on,” Stephanie said. “I know it sounds crazy, but I’ve seen discarded condoms. Marijuana container[s], drinking. It’s just it’s really disturbing. Very, very disturbing.”

Fellow resident Masis Khodaverdian has encountered these combative groups many times and mentioned just how severely their presence is affecting locals.

“[When confronted] they retaliate by throwing rocks and eggs on people’s doors and windows,” Khodaverdian said. “…Some of our neighbors are thinking about moving out.”

Another anonymous neighborhood member echoed the threatening personalities involved in the disturbances, stating that “some people become aggressive and threatening” when residents speak up against the intruders. 

When the fire broke out, Stephanie says she was made aware of the circumstances by her children, who were outside playing and noticed smoke.

“My kids were outside in the backyard playing basketball and looked out,” Stephanie said. “They came in and they said, “There’s a fire!” And we came out and you could see the smoke rising.”

A firefighter from the Burbank Fire Department puts out flames at the Burbank Starlight Estates. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Stephanie noted the fact that no one was harmed was a stroke of luck for residents and visitors alike.

“I don’t think it ever got out of control,” Stephanie explained. “But the fire trucks are there. I mean, obviously, it’s fire season [and] that could have been just devastating.”

Neighborhood members have untied and approached the City of Burbank on the issue in the recent past. Starlight Estate resident and Assistant Superintendent of the Burbank Unified School District, Debbie Kukta, spoke on behalf of neighbors at a City Council meeting in January in hopes of finding solutions in collaboration with the council.

Kukta says the groups that frequent the area create an uneasy mood for neighbors, but the amount of officers monitoring the neighborhood has increased since addressing the city, which helped quickly resolve the fire on Thursday. 

(Photo by Ross A Benson)

“It happens daily,” Kukta said. “There are groups that are down there…They glare at you as you drive by. And I think there have been some interactions with neighbors…So when it gets to that point where the intimidation is like that, that’s scary. [But] there has been a huge increase in police presence,…the city’s been great.”

Although the matter was to be revisited by the city in July, Assistant City Manager Judie Wilke says the date has been changed so that the Burbank City Council will address it this Tuesday.

“Due to the fire last night, we have sped up our timeline and we will be going to Council on this Tuesday to get approval for the permit parking,” Wilke said. “… In the short term, we will be placing curfew signs in the neighborhood. As this issue may be a moving target, the City will work with the neighborhood to consider other longer-term strategies.”