By Julie BUTCHER

At the end of a packed meeting on Tuesday night, the Glendale City Council began the process of adopting objective design standards for new multi-family and mixed-use housing in residential and commercial districts. 

According to California’s government code, objective design standards are defined as “standards that involve no personal or subjective judgment by a public official and are uniformly verifiable by reference to an external and uniform benchmark or criterion available and knowable by both the development applicant or proponent and the public official prior to submittal.” Absent objective design standards, developers would be able to build anything allowed “by right.”

The proposed standards and the process of adopting them in their entirety can be reviewed at https://engage.glendaleca.gov/objective-design-standards-multi-family-and-mixed-use-projects.

The ordinance will be back at Council for adoption next Tuesday.

Councilmember Dan Brotman explained that SB 79 becomes effective on July 1 and, absent objective design standards, the city would have “no say” over development. Councilmember Vartan Gharpetian clarified that the adoption of these new standards is not related to the future of the controversial city-owned parking lots nor would it result in any zoning changes.

Also on Tuesday night, the Council authorized $1,050,000 for 38 bus shelters and 34 enhanced bus shelters, funded by a combination of state grant funds and local Prop C funds. Mayor Ardy Kassakhian has long advocated for the bus stop improvements, though he bemoaned the design as looking “very municipal.” The plan also calls for adding shade trees wherever possible.

After considerable discussion, the Council also okayed the purchase of 20 electric buses at a cost of $29 million, also funded by successful grant applications and local transit funding. California’s Air Quality board passed the Innovative Clean Transit regulations, which require local bus fleets to transition to zero emission operations by 2040. Glendale’s Council previously adopted a bus rollout plan to transition to battery-electric buses and have had five electric buses in service since September 2025. According to Public Works director Daniel Hernandez, the plan is to purchase 11 new buses in 2029 and the final seven electric buses by 2033. 

“I’m kind of surprised at the breadth of the discussion we’re having here,” Councilmember Ara Najarian observed. “This is something we need to do, by mandate. We have funds available to do it. It’s good for the city; it’s good for seniors who rely on transit. It takes people out of their cars and gives us flexibility.”

Representative Janine Andrade of the California Park and Recreation Society announced to the Council that Glendale’s Fremont Park won a prestigious award recognizing outstanding quality in park design. The designation was selected from 186 entries submitted statewide. Director of Community Services and Parks Onnig Bulanikian acknowledged the recognition, reporting that the park is functioning beautifully, busy on nights and weekends with many various activities. 

“This was a 10-year project and is definitely a group effort,” Bulanikian said, specifically recognizing all of the other city departments involved in the effort.

Councilmember Gharpetian questioned ballot designations for some candidates and asked who approves ballot designations listed on the ballot. He also asked about oversight of the voting drop boxes. City Clerk Suzie Abajian responded that her office approves ballot designations and seeks assistance from the county’s election officials as is necessary. The drop boxes are administered by the county’s elections operations and local staff. Ballots are collected from the drop boxes every day.

Election Day is Tuesday, June 2. Local election information, including the location of Vote Centers and drop boxes, can be reviewed at https://www.glendalevotes.org/.

Councilmember Najarian expressed the need for an elections watchdog. He criticized organizers of an election event on the Glendale Community College campus that reportedly excluded some of the candidates. 

Najarian celebrated last week’s opening of Metro’s D Line as a milestone of connectivity.

He explained the concept of “open meetings”: local public bodies must meet in public, meetings have to be open to the public, agendas need to be posted at least 72 hours prior to the meeting and the public must have the ability to comment on items before they are voted upon. “Closed sessions” are only permitted in limited situations: regarding personnel matters; real estate and labor negotiations; litigation; and specifically confidential items. Such closed sessions are limited in scope and can only be used to discuss the specific item. Decisions must be publicly announced following the closed session.

Interim Police Chief Robert William addressed the Council to commemorate Police Week. 

“Every year, our nation sets aside a week to recognize and honor the men and women of law enforcement who dedicated their lives to protecting and serving their communities,” he said. “During Police Officers Memorial Day and Police Week we pause to remember the courage, sacrifice and unwavering commitment demonstrated daily by law enforcement professionals across the country. Police Week serves as a solemn reminder of these officers who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. We honor their memory, reflect upon their service, and recognize the tremendous sacrifices made not only by these officers but also by their loved ones and families.”

Mayor Kassakhian announced Memorial Day events starting with the Montrose event “at what I believe is the nation’s first Vietnam War Memorial” on Monday, May 25 at 8 a.m. at the corner of Ocean View Boulevard and Honolulu Avenue, co-sponsored by the Montrose Shopping Park Association and the Montrose-Verdugo City Chamber of Commerce. More information can be found at https://shopmontrose.com/memorial-day-ceremony/.

At 9:30 a.m. on Memorial Day, Glendale will celebrate Memorial Day at the Veterans’ Memorial outside City Hall at 613 E. Broadway.

At the beginning of Tuesday night’s Council meeting, representatives of the local Jewish community gathered for an invocation and to receive a proclamation designating May as Jewish Heritage Month, “recognizing the rich history, traditions, and enduring contributions of Jewish Americans who have helped shape our nation and strengthened its communities, including here in Glendale. This observance honors a legacy rooted in history, education, service, faith, resilience, and a continued commitment to civic and community life,” Mayor Kassakhian read from the proclamation.

Rebecca Russell of the Jewish Federation of the Greater San Gabriel and Pomona Valleys opened the meeting with this prayer: 

“Our God and the God of our ancestors, we ask for your blessings for our country, for its government, its leaders, its advisors and for all who exercise just and rightful authority. Teach them the insights of your Torah, that they may administer all affairs of state fairly, that peace and security, happiness and prosperity, justice and freedom may forever abide in our midst. Creator of all flesh, bless all the inhabitants of our country with your spirit, may citizens of all races and creeds form a common bond in true harmony to banish all hatred and bigotry and to safeguard the ideas and free institutions which are the pride and glory of our country. May this land under your providence be an influence for good throughout the world, uniting all people in peace and freedom and helping them to fulfill the vision of your prophets, that nations shall not lift up a sword against nation nor shall they experience war anymore.”

“This country provided a place of refuge,” Chabad of Glendale and the Foothill Communities’ Rabbi Simcha Backman told the Council, and this requires “a responsibility to show gratitude.”

Rabbi Rick Schechter of Temple Sinai of Glendale noted that Jewish families have been coming to America for 370 years and that thousands of Jewish families have made Glendale their home for at least 98 years. 

“We are touched by the embrace of Glendale’s leaders and deeply connected to all those devoted to our fair city,” the rabbi said.