By Mary O’KEEFE

A density bonus planning hearing on the proposed development on the north side of Foothill Boulevard at New York Avenue and the 3400 block of Foothill Boulevard is set for March 18 at 9:30 a.m. in hearing room 105 at 633 E. Broadway in Glendale. A design review hearing for the project is tentatively scheduled for April 23. 

In a 2021 planning meeting over 100 community members shared their concerns about the project. They were concerned about outreach efforts by the City and the developer with regard to reaching out to community members about the large project. 

During that 2021 meeting the proposed project was described as two four-story mixed commercial/residential towers and a third five-story mixed commercial-residential tower. To help preserve the sightline, 14 feet would separate each tower with connections between them on the street level via the sidewalk, on the second floor via a resident-only green space/promenade, and on the fourth floor via a bridge or catwalk. The three towers would be constructed on a 57,900 square foot site with 17,200 square feet of commercial space and 78 housing units, including eight-to-10 affordable units. 

At the time of the meeting Roger Kiesel, senior planner with Glendale Community Development, noted that he had received approximately 150 emails, letters and phone calls about the project prior to the meeting and of those only one was in support of the project while the other 149 were opposed. Board member Caro Minas echoed the sentiment saying, “Response from the public has been overwhelming in this case.”

The project has changed since 2021. The proposal now is an 87-unit single tower with no commercial space or mix-use element. There will be nine units set aside as “affordable to very low income housing.” The breakdown appears to be 18 three-bedroom apartments, 46 two-bedroom units, 23 one-bedroom apartments and no studio units. 

According to the Crescenta Valley Community Assn. (CVCA), the single building will reach a heightin places of five stories – a maximum of 74 feet with the highest point at the corner of Foothill Boulevard and New York Avenue. The plan calls for 151 parking spaces and subterranean parking. 

“Because nine units are 15% of the 58 the lot is zoned for, the developer is entitled to additional bonus units beyond the nine to make up for the affordable ones,” according to the CVCA. “This is how the number of units grew from 74 to 87.”

There will be time allotted for public comment at the March 18 meeting. 

If the density bonus is approved then the project moves to the Design Review Board, which will most likely be held on April 23. If the Design Review Board approves the project the developer can then submit the project for a plan check, which would allow construction to begin, according to Kiesel. 

The CVCA meets on the fourth Thursday of the month at 7 p.m. in the community room of the La Crescenta Library, 2809 Foothill Blvd.