Burbank residents looking to keep Pickwick Ice up and running
Pickwick Ice may be no more if a land developer has its way.
Shea Properties, an Aliso Viejo-based developer with no pre-existing properties within Burbank or the entire San Fernando Valley, hosted a community meeting on the evening of Sept. 14 about their proposed plans for the redevelopment of the Pickwick property and Viva Cantina on Riverside and Main in Burbank.
During their brief presentation with the details posted online, Shea Properties outlined their vision to demolish Pickwick Ice, Pickwick Bowling Alley and Pickwick Gardens to build a private residential village comprised of hundreds of townhomes and apartments.
Along with the demolition of Pickwick, Shea Properties repeatedly referred to “the restaurant” across the street (Viva Cantina) as a proposed site for demolition and new construction of a place to “get a drink.”
The California Golden Bears youth hockey program calls Pickwick its home ice.
“With no environmental impact study completed at the time of their presentation, Shea Properties was unable to answer extremely important questions regarding the alarming effect 600-plus new residents, as well as their cars, would have on not only Riverside and Main, but the surrounding neighborhoods,” read the online petition. “An enormous housing village on this corner would overcrowd our schools, create unending traffic jams, and forever alter the culture of a neighborhood unlike any other.
“We believe the preservation of Riverside and Main is essential to the Burbank tapestry, and that Pickwick and Viva Cantina are historically significant landmarks that must be protected for future generations to enjoy.
“We are calling on all Burbank residents to help us stop the residential re-zoning proposed for Riverside and Main, and present our signatures to the Burbank City Council as testament to our overwhelming opposition. Please join us in spreading the word throughout our city about the proposal presented by Shea Properties and organize as a community to protect our Rancho District heritage.”
— Matt Mackinder
(Nov. 10, 2017)
