• DRB Process and Enforcement of Design Review Standards. The City has made great strides in toughening design review standards, mainly by providing that a project must be compatible with the neighborhood, even if the zoning code would otherwise allow a larger project. Sometimes, however, large projects that are incompatible with the neighborhood are still approved on the basis that the zoning code allows that size. The Association continues to press the DRB's to enforce the compatibility requirement and is engaged in helping develop a revised DRB process to ensure that such design rules are enforced.  Here are our Design Guidelines.

   

• Historical Districting. The Association is working with the City and the Northwest Glendale Heritage Districts Committee to create historic districts in portions of Northwest Glendale. The City is currently developing city-wide revised guidelines and procedures to form districts throughout the city.

• DRB Exemptions. There are a number of exemptions to design review that have created problems. For instance, free standing garages up to a certain size, are currently exempt from DRB review-- even if placed in the front yard! Planning review staff has discretion to override these exemptions and require design review, but staff sometimes not exercised that discretion. The Association wants to eliminate these exemptions for structures visible from the street.  The city design review ordinance is here.

• Setbacks. We have found that the legal setback (the minimum distance between the street and front of a home) in R1R and R1 zones, which comprise most of Northwest Glendale, is often less than the actual setback on a street. This permits new construction and additions to invade the front greenscape of a block. The Association is working with the City to create overlays zones to conform to the legal setback to the actual set back on a block by block basis.

• View and Privacy Ordinance. The Association is actively engaged in working with City Council and City staff to develop an effective, workable and fair ordinance to address view and privacy ordinance.

• Enforcement of Fence Ordinance. A long time signature issue for the Association.  Glendale ordinances generally prohibit fences and walls in the front set back, greatly contributing the quality of the streetscape in the City. Fences may be built in certain horse overlays zones, but even such fences must still be approved by the Design Review Board. Glendale recently began enforcing the fence ordinance after a "moratorium," and the Association monitors compliance with the ordinance.

• See the results of our recent membership survey here.

   

Officers and Board of Directors