The Council is moving forward with EIR for offered destruction – Outlooknewspapers.com

“The history of the historical preservation of this site has a story that returns to 2003, when owner Greg Brody suggested that he demolished the site and build residential design with 86 units,” said Cassandra Pruet, an urban planning and planning case of the project. “From the beginning, the city has signaled the applicant for historical concerns about conservation and that an application for review of the environment will be required.”

BW Brody’s latest proposal is to demolish the complex with 37 units and replace it with a six-story bonus project with a density of 149 units, with 14 very low incomes and five units with moderate income, according to a report from the city of Glendale in January 2025. S Currently, the complex is made up of three bilateral buildings.

In October 2024, the planner for the historical staff of the staff Jay Plast conducted a historical evaluation of Glendale garden homes and found that the property could be considered a historical resource under the California Environmental Law (CEQA). Platt also made a partner check of two previous environmental assessment reports (ESA) by Hronicle Heritage, which BW Brody has presented.

BW Brody will be responsible for covering the price of EIR, but the city will choose a historical expert to hold it.

The Community Development Director Bradley Calvert has issued a letter to determine the CEQA requiring EIR, which will evaluate the potential impact of the demolition of the complex and the construction of a new one, the report said.

Calvert said EIR will evaluate whether or not garden homes are a historical asset and will offer an opportunity for public engagement.

A complaint filed by the entrepreneur in November 2024, states that the director’s decision was not made within the legal time and that the historical evaluation was wrong.

The BW Brody complaint cites numerous public resources and government code sections, which are alleged to have violated the city.

Chris Manasryer and Michael Gonzalez of Law Group Gonzales APC spoke on behalf of BW Brody, the applicant, on Tuesday.

Manasherian said the proposed site of the project is in the area with the highest density of West Glendale for multi -family development. Of the 149 units proposed in the project, 83% would be family homes with two and three bedrooms, he said. The plan of the Glendale 2021-2029 housing element for the housing element credits 115 units of the proposed project to the regional numbers for the distribution of the city’s housing needs, he added.

City lawyer Michael Garcia said that although the property was designated as a place for future housing, it does not mean that the city has agreed that there will be no problems.

“We do not see this as proof that the environmental process would be an obstacle to the project,” he said.

The lawyers claim that the planning department does not use material evidence to determine that the property is a historical resource and that the city’s own documents mean the conclusion.

Manaserian referred to the Code of Public Resources 21082.2, which states that the public dispute over the impact on the environmental project does not require the preparation of EIR, unless significant evidence is presented.

Platt said that the report provides him with significant evidence that the property should be considered a historical resource and that there are characteristics that are not usually seen among the inventory of Glendale’s housing.

“This is a very thoughtful, very well -designed example of a certain type of modernism from the middle of the century,” he said.

Carrie Parteen, a senior architectural historian at Heronicle Heritage, said Glendale Garden Homes is a “transitional property” and does not represent any architectural style or movement.

She said that garden homes are reminiscent of colonial revival rather than modern in the middle of the century, but buildings are not a great example of a specific type of property.

“They reflect the transition from the socialist utopik … moving to more than what you would expect from an apartment complex from the 1960s, 70s of the last century,” she said.

Chasteen stated that the apartment complex does not meet the criteria for the eligibility of the conservation in Los Angeles for garden apartments. The complex has parking under parking, its entrance is facing a main street and there is no room for relaxation, which is not aligned with the typical nature of a garden apartment, she added.

“In my professional opinion, this does not meet the eligibility criteria,” she said.

The property is not indicated in the register of historical resources of Glendale, the California Register of Historical Resources or the National Register of Historic Places.

During public comments on Tuesday, residents of Glendale Garden Homes, neighbors and local defenders called on the City Council to require EIR for the project. They stated their fears about the historical importance of the property and that the potential demolition project could break the neighborhood.

Others claim that the property is not historical and the proposed project for housing for a site density bonus should move on.

Katie Preskot, a resident of Glendale’s gardens, said BRDI’s proposals from the BW project would disrupt the flow of the neighborhood and cause traffic. For the past six years, Prescott has been glad to live in one of the most beautiful apartments she has ever lived in, she said.

“Our building is also in a quiet corner of Glendale, which is a pleasant retreat from the lively energy of the malls of the center of Glendale. The destruction of our building, replacing it with what BW Brody has in mind, will not only be terribly personal, for us, for us, for us, for us, for us, for us, for us, for us, for us, for us, for us, for us, for us, for us, for us, for us, for us, for us, for us, for us, for us, for us, for us, for us, for us, for us, for us, for us, for us, for us, for us, for us, for us, for us, for us, for us, for us, for us, for us, for us, for us, for us, for us, for us, for us, for us, for us, for us, for us, for us, for us, for us, for us, for us, for us, for us, for us, for us, for us, for For us, for us, for us, for us, for us, for us, for us, for us, for us, for us, for us, for us, for us, for us, for us , за нас, за нас, за нас, за нас, за нас, за нас, за нас, за нас, за нас, за нас, за нас, за нас, за нас, за нас, за нас, за нас, за For us, for us, for us, for us BW Brody residents, but I believe everyone else in the neighborhood, “she said.

Shane Lee, head of Glendale Iimby, volunteer for a voter prohibition, said the apartment complex is not historic and there are currently no units for low -income residents while the new building would be.

“We want to quickly build solid residential units to accommodate each of every level of income that wants to bring together a family in our big city,” he said. “The project will improve the quality of life of the neighbors and improve the character of the neighborhood.”

The members of the Brody family also spoke during public comments.

David Brody said that Glendale garden homes will require expensive structural repairs and is not economically feasible.

“Even if we do EIR, it will return to the body, looking for a statement of prevailing reasons for the same or more dear project before you,” he said.

Sami Tabrizi, an architect of the project, said that the site where the destruction was proposed was in an existing multi -family area with amenities, including a Ralphs market, business and transit connection. Tabrizi said the property has trees on the grounds, but they are unprotected. The project will include planting 150 mature trees such as ferns pines, palm trees and citrus trees.

The construction manager, which did not provide his surname, said they had invested many thoughts in the design of the proposed project, which includes lavish landscaping, large yards and family homes.

“The only thing that slows down this high quality, affordable residential project that will come to North Glendale is the claim that has just been made by the Director of Community Development of this historical project,” he said. “As you all know and have heard, it has not shown any historical resources in the last 20 years proposed developments.”

Rebecca Sullivan, a real estate agent in Glendale, said it was helping the victims of a fire find homes against the background of a shortage of housing.

“You said there is a residential crisis. Well, it’s worse now and I can’t believe there is [25] Apartments sitting there empty, and we can’t put people, “she said.

In a conversation later at the meeting, Mayor Ellen Asatrian said he was hypocritical for BW Brody and a lawyer to bring home at affordable prices when the owner allowed so many units in the complex to remain free.

Owner Gregory Brody said units remain free as the developer has been trying to move the project for years.

“Do you honestly believe that we want to lose all these revenue? It is not fair to hire a unit and then think that you will ask people to leave in three months or six months,” he said.

Advisor Dan Brotman gave up the decision -making process on Tuesday due to a conflict of interest. His partner owns a property within 500 feet of the proposed project.

Advisor Ara Najarian said he was of the opinion that there were enough essential, disputes and general essential evidence to require EIR for the project.

“We can get experts to decide whether it is historical or not.

Advisor Ardi Casahian said he was not an architectural expert or a historian of architecture, but he knows that if there is a conflict, the rule is EIR, it must be done in order to obtain a resolution.

“I don’t think this is something that people need to be blurry about because we hope to give us more answers about what is unique to this property, or maybe not. Maybe it is not right on the triple garden Apartment … But there is definitely something special about it, and when you walk on the playgrounds, you can feel it, “he said.

Asatrian said the influx of conflict information about the historical importance of Glendale gardens is sufficient to activate EIR to make additional definitions.

“It also does not mean that it stops us from canceling it in the future and building something useful for… future generations, but how we come to us anyway, it comes to us,” she said.