Something to Talk About

According to astrological forecasts, the spring of 2026 ends a 13-year cycle of trust and reliance on others and enters a new phase described as fiery, bold and one that stimulates independence and self-discovery. 

I feel the shift. It’s been a crazy couple of weeks for me, full of emotional highs and lows.

My heart is exploding with the arrival of our new family member, a healthy and beautiful baby girl. Her parents have asked for privacy and no social media presence, which I fully applaud, but I have to say their decision stifles my bragging rights in the public domain.  I have no doubt that this child will be fiercely independent and insightful, just like her Gramma. Contrasting with my utter joy, I have no fewer than five people in my circle who are struggling with a serious medical diagnosis and more with surgeries on the horizon. I can’t expand on that topic either. In addition, our vacation home fire insurance is being cancelled and my assistant has left our office for an exciting career opportunity up north. What I can talk about is the massive five-story building that has been approved by the City of Glendale at the corner of New York Avenue and Foothill Boulevard. It feels like a stomach punch.

I remember the days following the release of the North Glendale Community Plan when I had hope that the comprehensive document would truly protect our community from overdevelopment. I served on the NGCP advisory committee. Our vision for the community became a roadmap for planners and developers to follow with specific design guidelines that kept infill projects compatible with the surrounding context and respected our connection to nature. After the document was adopted in 2011, Foothill Boulevard was downzoned from a 50’ maximum height limit to 36’, which indicated Glendale’s commitment to keeping new projects in scale with existing buildings. During this period, it was common for owners/architects to meet with neighborhood residents to get feedback on their projects, review the guidelines with respect to height, set-backs, floor-area ratio, quality of materials, etc. and revise their plans, sometimes reducing size and scale. Going through the process, I don’t think any of us could have foreseen the upheaval that would take place in the decade that followed.

Due to a series of state mandates, housing laws and removal of environmental protections, the entire residential housing process has changed – and not for the better.  Developers started proposing high density housing in commercial zones and building ADUs in single family backyards without giving a hoot about setbacks, parking or what the residents thought. The traditional “checks and balances” used by local jurisdictions to review and approve projects became one-size-fits-all ministerially approved monstrosities with little criticism by planning departments. In fact, Glendale Planning seems to be helping the developers even further by granting more accommodations than are mandated by state law to increase the housing stock and reduce lawsuits.

The project recently approved for 3411-3427 Foothill Boulevard at the corner of New York Avenue is a case in point. This massive residential project will be five stories tall, 74 feet from its lowest point, double the height allowable under the Commercial Hillside zoning ordinance. Whereas 58 units can be built on this location “by right,” after applying the density bonus law SB1818, the owner/developer are going full throttle by building 87 units. Glendale approved additional waivers allowing first floor parking, minimal open space and removed the commercial requirement. Obviously, neither the owner nor the City seem to care about the priorities of Crescenta Highlands residents or any silly community plan.

On March 25, the Glendale Planning Hearing officer granted approval of this density bonus housing project with three concessions and three waivers (everything they asked for) and determined that the project will not have a specific adverse negative impact to health, safety or the physical environment that could not be mitigated. The Crescenta Highlands Neighborhood Association strongly disagrees and will appeal the decision. See the letter here: https://www.glendaleca.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/82409/639100394257479232.

Contact the CHNA at crescentahighlands@gmail.com for further information or if you want to join the effort. The deadline to appeal is April 9.

Susan Bolan
susanbolan710@gmail.com