Newsletter
of the
Northwest Glendale Homeowners Association
Largest Neighborhood Association in Glendale
Winter 2005 Volume 15 #1
Listen for Candidates’ Positions on Homeowner Issues and Vote!
Council Enacts FAR Limits on Large Lots
Candidate Forums March 9 and 16
Village Fine Jewelry Local Gem in Village
Cumberland Heights Historic Survey Distributed
Neighbors Having to Enforce the Zoning Code
Council Enacts FAR Limits on Large Lots
By Mike Fedrick
The City Council again recently considered whether to impose additional restrictions on hillside and residential development.
Proposed Ordinance
An ordinance was proposed which would have:
1. Set a floor-to-area ratio (FAR) limit of .10 in all residential zones for any portion of a lot over 10,000 square feet.
2. Established a lot steepness limit of 67% (about a 39 degree slope) for building homes on hillsides.
3. Reduced the building height limit in R1R- and ROS-zoned hillside areas from 32 feet (35 feet for homes with sloped roofs) to 25 feet/28 feet.
The ordinance was proposed to provide additional protection to current homeowners against massing and other problems of incompatibility often associated with home projects on steep hillsides and on oversized lots.
Council Votes to Approve FAR Limit on Large Lots
Council unanimously approved the proposed changes in the FAR, which will reduce the size of home projects on large lots. This has been one of NWGHA’s key goals for some time, and is significant for Northwest Glendale.
Other Parts Rejected
Council, however, rejected the proposals for a lot steepness limit and a building height limit for hillside developments.
Architects and builders objected in particular to the proposed building height limits, saying they would make it difficult to build even a modestly sized home on hillside lots.
NWGHA Proposes
Graduated FAR Limits
At the Council hearing, Bob Getts on behalf of the NWGHA proposed an alternative to fixed height limits— a graduated FAR requirement for steep lots, in order to encourage the building of smaller homes on such lots. As lot steepness increased, the permitted FAR would decrease.
Council instructed the city planning division to consider further the NWGHA proposal and to report back to the Council.
We will report to you on this in a future issue.
President's Message
Listen for Candidates’ Positions on Homeowner Issues and Vote!
We have scheduled two forums this year to handle the record number of candidates.
Nineteen candidates have qualified for city council. Nine candidates have qualified for city clerk and nine have qualified for the Glendale Unified School Board.
We are pleased that Will Rogers will moderate both forums.
Critical Election
Four of five Council seats are up for grabs in this election. A new Council majority could enhance or could dramatically reverse hard-fought homeowner protections.
Therefore, it is critically important that you vote this election and to know where a candidate stands on homeowner issues, such as:
· Design review. The battle to ensure that DRBs consistently enforce compatibility in new projects and additions is a never-ending battle. DRBs must address FAR, setbacks, size, massing and design exemptions in such a way as to preserve our neighborhoods. DRB decisions and appeals have been uneven and are greatly influenced by the views of Council.
· Code enforcement. Will new projects be required to adhere to current code limits, or will going around the rules be encouraged? Council sets the tone.
· Historical districting. This remains a contentious issue for many, but our members have expressed support for a reasonable HD ordinance. The new Council will be asked to adopt a revised ordinance that could facilitate or hinder reasonable HD overlay zones.
· Zoning. Council continues to review zoning ordinances— for our hillsides, to restrict density, in single family zones abutting multi family zones, and in zoning appeals and enforcement.
Important to Vote
Homeowners must vote in numbers to have our voice heard. Your vote actually counts more in a local election than, say, in a national election, because there are far fewer votes cast.
Candidate Forums March 9 and 16
The NWGHA forum for City Council candidates is scheduled for Wednesday, March 9 at 7 p.m. The forum for City Clerk candidates is scheduled for the following Wednesday, March 16 at 7 p.m., followed by the School Board candidates forum at approximately 8:00 pm. Both forums will be held at Brand Library.
Seating is limited, so please arrange to arrive early. Doors will open at 6:30 each night.
Village Fine Jewelry Local Gem in Village
By Kathy Giachino
Levon Latchinian started in the jewelry business when he was 14 years old, working after school and during his summer vacations in his home in Beirut, Lebanon. After finishing school he lived for a short time in Germany and then worked in Athens for 12 years in the area below the Parthenon. It was in Athens that he met his wife Lucy.
Levon emigrated to the United States 15 years ago and opened a Jewelry business in downtown Los Angeles in 1989, selling wholesale to Jewelry stores across the United States.
The couple opened Village Fine Jewelry in Kenneth Village, close to their home, two years ago. Lucy works in the store with Levon who commutes between the Los Angeles and Glendale stores when he is not traveling out of town for the wholesale business.
In addition to selling jewelry at only slightly above wholesale prices, Village Fine Jewelry does custom designs, engraving, alterations and expert repairs, including watch repair. Levon helps customers design their jewelry, or make changes to already owned pieces. He also cleans and checks jewelry at no cost.
Village Fine Jewelry is located at 1423 1/2 W. Kenneth Road, telephone number 818-243-5509.
Speed Lumps on Highland
At its Monday, January 25 meeting, Glendale’s Traffic and Transportation Commission approved a request by residents on Highland Avenue to install four speed “lumps” on the two blocks between Kenneth and Cumberland Roads. According to Jano Baghdanian, Glendale Traffic and Transportation Administrator, the lumps will be installed, depending on receiving acceptable bids, in May or June at a cost of approximately $12,000.
Speed lumps—as opposed to bumps—provide two indentations in the middle to allow emergency vehicles to pass through them.
Residents on Highland testified at the hearing that the lumps were necessary to address speeding vehicles.
Back to Contents
Letter to The Guardian
In the Fall 2004 issue of The Guardian Lawrence Kalfayan described how applicants can circumvent standards by getting letters of support from their neighbors. He points out that this approach shifts the burden of compliance from City Staff (who are paid to do so) to the neighbors.
We had a similar experience with the City when a neighbor built a backyard fence in excess of the height stated in the permit. Rather than require correction as we requested, the City Building official threatened to advise the applicant on how to revise his permit request - which may have resulted in an even worse looking project.
Mr. Kalfayan proposes that if a project violates City standards, then City Staff should require the applicant redo the plans (thus, the project) - not advise the applicant on how to circumvent them. We agree and believe that NWGHA should pursue this issue with the City Council.
Andrew P. Rusinak
Patricia A. Grogan
Cumberland Heights Historic Survey Distributed
Residents of the Cumberland Heights area of Northwest Glendale recently received mailings from the City detailing the results of a historic resource survey of their own home and the area as a whole.
Professional Survey
The Cumberland Heights historic resource survey was prepared by Historic Resources Group, a professional consulting firm, with assistance from City staff and community volunteers. It was funded with a grant from the State Office of Historic Preservation, which oversaw the survey and reviewed and approved the results.
Each homeowner receiving a separate page on his or her home with a rating as to whether or not it would “contribute” to a potential historic district overlay zone and whether it merited special historic mention.
Survey Highlights
The survey shows that for the area bounded by West Mountain Street on the north, Highland Avenue on the east, Kenneth Road on the south and Grandview Avenue on the west (excluding Stone Lane and Kenneth Village):
· Approximately 80% of the buildings in the area would be contributors to a potential historic district.
· 66 homes are significant enough to be eligible for the Glendale Register of Historic Places.
· Six buildings are eligible for the National Register of Historic Places.
Given this percentage, the area could be included in one or more local historic districts and might be eligible for inclusion in historic districts on the State and Federal levels. The survey did not attempt to give a final answer on this.
Not a Historic district
The survey does NOT automatically make Cumberland Heights a historic district overlay zone. That decision would still be made by the Glendale City Council.
The city continues to develop a revised historic districting process.
Cumberland Heights
Withdraws Its ApplicationIn view of the City creating new historic districting procedures, organizers of a Cumberland Heights Historic District formally withdrew their application for a historic district filed with the City in August 2003.