Glendale has not decided whether it will let an 87 unit building replace the car dealership and retail building at Foothill Boulevard and New York Avenue. The City Council is asked to decide an appeal on October 20.
What the city is deciding
The Council is asked whether to uphold the Planning Commission’s conditional approval or reverse it and deny the project. The proposal has 87 homes, including nine reserved for very low income households, and 151 parking spaces.
Where and who it affects
The 57,974 square foot site is at 3411 to 3427 Foothill Boulevard, on the northwest corner of New York Avenue. New York Park is directly north. Homes and commercial properties are east, while commercial properties are south and west.
What it could mean for your property
If approved, the existing dealership, retail building and surface parking would be demolished. The replacement would rise five stories and 74 feet. The zone otherwise permits three stories and 36 feet.
The project also proposes a floor area ratio of 2.49 instead of the permitted 1.2. Floor area ratio compares a building’s floor space with its lot size. It would use more lot coverage than the zone allows, provide some parking at and above ground, place homes on the ground floor without a conditional use permit, and omit required additional open space.
The traffic study estimates 800 fewer trips on a typical weekday compared with the existing dealership and retail uses. Staff says the site is not in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, and neither the site nor areas south of it are in a dam inundation zone, although the New York Reservoir lies under the park next door.
The site once held a gas station and was listed for a leaking underground storage tank. The state issued a closure letter in 2014. Conditions would require soil, soil vapor and groundwater sampling, a Soil Management Plan, and a new environmental assessment before construction.
Questions to ask before you buy or build
- Does the Council uphold the approval on October 20, or continue the matter to November 3?
- What do the final approved plans show for height, parking and open space?
- Which approval conditions govern environmental testing before permits are issued?
What happens next
On October 20, staff asks the Council to deny the appeal and uphold approval. A second draft motion would deny the project and continue the matter to November 3 for written findings. The documents record no decision yet.