Letters to the Editor

HOA Outlines Opposition to Project

A developer has submitted an application to the City of Glendale to demolish the used car dealership and commercial buildings at 3411-3437 Foothill Blvd., just west of New York Avenue, and replace them with 78 apartments, 17,200 square feet of commercial space and 208 parking spaces. The complex would be four and five stories high! If approved, this project would be more than twice as large as the controversial one recently approved at 3950 Foothill Blvd.  

The applicant intends to submit a Density Bonus application to include affordable housing. But here’s the catch. According to city planner Roger Kiesel the most apartments that could be approved for this property under current zoning is 58. The applicant seeks to use 58 units as the starting point and go up from there.  

But there is no right to build to the maximum. Proposals must be approved by the Design Review Board, which is charged with determining whether the project is appropriate considering the size, mass, floor area ratio, lot coverage, height, pressure on the infrastructure, and compatibility with the surrounding neighborhood as well as esthetics. 

The Crescenta Highlands Neighborhood Association opposes this project as outlined in the application. We are not opposed to responsible and compatible development. We need affordable housing and mixed-use projects along commercial corridors can be a means of providing it. But five stories and 78 units will destroy the character of our suburban/rural community, overburden our infrastructure, create traffic nightmares, and rob many homeowners of their mountain views. In short, the stretch of Foothill Boulevard in Glendale could end up looking like the Stucco Canyon on Central Avenue in downtown Glendale.

The Design Review Board will conduct a preliminary hearing on this application on Thursday, June 24. The meeting starts at 5 p.m. Unfortunately the public will only be able to participate remotely. Residents can view the meeting on Charter Cable Channel 6 or online at https://www.glendaleca.gov/government/departments/management-services/gtv6/live-video-stream.  To provide comments or ask questions during the meeting, call (818) 937-8100. You can also email Mr. Kiesel at rkiesel@glendaleca.gov. before the meeting.

Mary-Lynne Fisher, President
Crescenta Highlands Neighborhood Association