Wednesday, December 31, 2014

6 Tips to Getting a Permit


Thousands of people visit the Permit Services Center each month. Many, arrive unprepared and are unable to successfully submit their permit applications. 

If you're working on a residential home improvement project, we've prepared a few tips to help you save time when applying for a permit and avoid some commonly made mistakes.

1. Have All the Facts. Know the who, what & where of your project.
  • Know what you are trying to get a permit for and the address of the building that you are going to perform the work on. 
  • Each Contractor should know the name of the building owner. 
  • The building owner should know the name of their design professional. All this information is needed to complete each permit application. 

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

5 Homes Added to Glendale's Historic Register

What do a National Baseball Hall of Fame inductee, the inventor of the coffee drip system & a past #MyGlendale mayor have in common? They all owned homes in Glendale and those homes were recently added to the City's Register of Historic Resources.

The City of Glendale is committed to historic preservation as part of its goal of planning for the future. By preserving key places that contribute to the history of all city residents we help the city develop and grow without erasing its past. The Glendale City Council recently approved adding 5 properties to the Register of Historic Resources. These properties are rich in history and are an important part of Glendale's colorful heritage.

Glendale Register No. 105

The Weaver House

1440 N. Central Ave.


The house was designed in the Spanish Colonial Revival style by architect Benjamin W. Sherwood. The house is an excellent and unusual example of the Spanish Colonial Revival style in Glendale. It was built for Eugene L. Weaver, an executive with Ben-Hur Coffee, a division of the Joannes Brothers Corporation. Ben-Hur pioneered the world’s first drip coffee system under Weaver’s management, and he is credited with the invention. 



Monday, November 17, 2014

VIDEO: Protecting Glendale's Historic Neighborhoods

Watch this video to learn about Glendale's historic neighborhoods. Visit the Community Development Department's webpage for more information about historic preservation.

Friday, November 7, 2014

Affordable Housing Opportunity: Veterans Village

Veterans Village of Glendale, located on 331 Salem Street is an affordable housing project currently under construction. 

Veterans Village is Glendale’s newest affordable housing project expected to be completed in June 2015. The project is reserved for lower income family households, with a preference for veteran families. It is an approximate $20.4 million project that will include specialized social services for the veteran residents provided by New Directions, a nonprofit provider dedicated to empowering veterans and facilitating their successful return to families and society. The Glendale Housing Authority contributed a total of approximately $6.8 million in development and permanent loan financing. The project consists of 44 units, a mix of 1, 2, and 3 bedrooms (one unit will be reserved as a manager’s unit). 

Housing applications for Veterans Village will be available from November 4 – November 26. Applications can be picked up at the project site at 331 Salem Street or downloaded from the developers website at www.VeteransVillageGlendale.com.

Information Hotline: (818) 685‑9919 or visit VeteransVillageGlendale.com

Applications must be postmarked by Wednesday, November 26, 2014 to be entered into the lottery. Only applications mailed to the following address will be accepted.

Veterans Village of Glendale
P.O. Box 49898
Los Angeles, CA 90049

Protect Yourself: Lead Safety

Sanding lead-based paint can release harmful lead dust.
Lead is a naturally occurring element found in small quantities in the earth’s crust. It can be toxic to humans and animals. Lead absorption may occur during renovation, repair, and painting activities that disturb lead-based paint (for example: sanding, cutting, replacing windows and more). Such types of activities can create hazardous lead dust and chips which can be harmful to adults, children and pets. 

Understanding the effects of lead in paint is important. Even low levels of lead in children can reduce a child’s ability to learn and cause behavioral problems. If a structure (built prior to 1978) is having this type of work performed to it, it should be done by a Lead-Safe Certified Renovation Contractor. 

A Certified Contractor should work in accordance with new E.P.A. guidelines for any renovation or repair project. They will know how to protect you and your family. 

Do-It-Yourself projects must follow the “Lead-Safe Work Practices” available from the E.P.A., L.A. County Health Department or your local Building Department. Remember, home repairs that create even a small amount of lead dust are enough to poison your child and put your entire family at risk.

Important Links:

Thursday, November 6, 2014

VIDEO: Don't Stand in Line at the Permit Services Center



Providing excellent customer service is a top priority for the staff at the City's Permit Services Center (PSC). That is why we've taken steps to improve your customer experience when visiting our office. We are happy to announce that we are now offering online appointment scheduling. This will minimize your wait time the next time you visit the PSC. Appointments can be scheduled from the comfort of your home computer and from any smart phone or tablet. The PSC offers a variety services including business registrations, dog licensing, contractor licensing, planning & zoning and more.

Thursday, October 30, 2014

At Ease: Veterans Get a New Lease on Life

UPDATE: ABC7 News Story & Video on November 6, 2014.

For six men and one building in Glendale, Veteran’s Day this past November 11th was different from years past. For some of these former U.S. military members, the differences were dramatic. All would agree that the changes represent an opportunity to enjoy their golden years in peace and security, something that a number of them have been lacking until now. 

They are all new residents of Cypress Senior Living, the City of Glendale’s newest affordable housing project reserved for lower income senior households with the first six units reserved for Veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces. 

While it took some time to find 6 qualified senior veterans to occupy the predesignated units at Cypress Senior Living, it could not come soon enough for some. Twenty-two veterans applied for the units and a lottery was held to prioritize the order in which the veterans were to be considered for them. Some applicants did not meet the income qualifications, some did not care for the sizes of the units and kindly declined, and others, despite the housing being affordable, were not prepared to make a move from their existing homes. Sadly, one senior veteran selected did not live long enough to move into the unit, having passed away not too long after applying for the project. 

WWII veteran Jesus Gonzalez shows off his Navy pennants 
and uniform at the Cypress Senior Living grand opening. 
The final roster of residents represents what many refer to as the “old-school” veterans, six men representing service time during conflicts in Vietnam, Korea, and World War II. Four are veterans of the Army followed by a representative each of the Navy and Air Force. Four of them were drafted, while the other two enlisted. 

Jesus Gonzalez is the most veteran of them all. Now 86 years old and still going strong, Jesus grew up in the San Fernando Valley. He enlisted in the Navy in 1946 and spent 3 ½ years in and around various islands of the South Pacific. Some of those areas were still under Japanese occupation and the Navy provided security detail as some fighting and hostility continued, despite the end of WWII. Jesus then spent his civilian career as a teacher and high school baseball coach. He was living in a market rate apartment in Northridge when he and his wife heard about the opportunity to apply for the units in Glendale. 

A few of the veterans were not as fortunate as Jesus in their post military life. Kevin Sargent, one the last veterans to rent a unit, spent several years homeless. During those lean times, Kevin made money by recycling bottles and cans and giving blood. He was drafted into the Army just out of Daily High School in Glendale in 1971. Prior to deployment in Vietnam, he came down with a debilitating case of spinal meningitis as a result of a vaccine the Army had given him; he was eventually discharged due to his medical condition. He worked many jobs in his adult life including stints as an actor and security guard.

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Downtown Specific Plan & Mobility Study

CDD staff presented policies related to Glendale's Downtown Specific Plan & Mobility Study to City Council on October 21, 2014. You can view the slide presentation below or watch the video online.

Friday, September 26, 2014

Glendale CDD Best in California

From the left: Principal Urban Designer Alan Loomis, Director Hassan Haghani, APA CA 
President Brooke Peterson & Senior Planner Kristen Asp . 
The California Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA) recognized the City's Community Development Department as the #1 Department of its kind in the entire state of California. The award comes after the Los Angeles Chapter of APA recognized the department as the best in Los Angeles County. Under the leadership of Hassan Haghani, CDD stands above others because it provides innovative, high‐quality, and effective planning and outreach services to the community. CDD has successfully continued to improve its level and quality of service despite significant downsizing due to the economic recession and dissolution of redevelopment.

In 2007 Hassan Haghani became director of Glendale’s Planning Department. He embarked on a mission to transform the department into a design‐centered, goal‐oriented, community‐supported agency that was integrated both internally and with other City departments providing related community services. Starting in 2010, the Planning Department merged with the Neighborhood Services, Housing, Redevelopment, and Building & Safety Divisions to form the current CDD. The integrated Department now contains full in‐house teams addressing planning, urban design, community outreach and engagement, neighborhood problem solving, housing development and housing services, building regulation and the implementation of key community development projects.

This recognition comes as no surprise since each of the Department’s divisions have been recognized regionally for their exceptional programs.  CDD has won numerous awards including the Beacon Awards for sustainability, AIA California Chapter Urban Design Award, LA Conservancy Awards, and the California Building Officials’ Building Department of the Year Award. Additionally, CDD has received the SCAG Compass Blueprint Presidents Excellence Award twice since it’s inception in 2007 (past awards).

APA is an independent educational organization that provides leadership in the development of communities by advocating excellence in planning, promoting education and citizen empowerment.

Thursday, September 18, 2014

City Receives $2.1 Million in Pedestrian/Bike Safety Grants

The City of Glendale was awarded two State Department of Transportation grants which will transform the way pedestrian safety is addressed in the City. The Active Transportation Program grants totaling $2.1 million will help the City implement recommended improvements outlined in various city plans including the Safe & Healthy Streets Plan, Downtown Mobility Study, Downtown Specific Plan and the Greener Glendale Plan. These grants will allow for the creation of comprehensive policies and infrastructure to improve pedestrian safety in a coordinated and centralized effort. 
Citywide Pedestrian Plan - $500K 
Funds will be used to create a comprehensive plan, identify viable bicycle and pedestrian corridors, assess intersections with high pedestrian/bicycle accident rates and target improvements at specific intersections.

Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Improvements Project - $1.6 million
Funds will be used to improve pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure along heavily traveled routes to the following schools:
• Hoover High School
• Toll Middle School
• Keppel Elementary School, and
• Along East Chevy Chase Dr. which connects six schools in southern Glendale to the Adams Square Park, Library and Business District.

SRTS Improvements will include enhanced accessibility and ADA compliance, repairs to damaged infrastructure and will provide trees and bicycle lanes or sharrows.

Safety for pedestrians and bicyclists is one of the City’s highest priorities. These grants will allow for a comprehensive approach to improving conditions by dedicating staff resources, implementing proactive community outreach efforts, updating policy and improving physical infrastructure. 

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Affordable Housing Updates - July 2014

Photo by Community Development Partners
Cypress Senior Living Grand Opening
The availability of affordable housing is an important issue to many Glendale residents. That is why Housing staff works tirelessly to identify a develop new opportunities for qualified citizens. CDD is proud to announce the Grand Opening of the Cypress Senior Living Apartments. This 18-unit building was once worn and dilapidated. Thanks to the investment of Community Development Partners, the newly rehabilitated building boasts 4 one-bedroom and 14 studio units with brand new kitchens, bathrooms, flooring, windows and heating/air conditioning systems. A grand opening celebration will be held on Tuesday, July 29th at 9:00 AM. A housing lottery was held on May 15th to choose prospective tenants. 

Glendale Arts Colony
The proposed Glendale Arts Colony affordable housing apartments, to be developed by Meta Housing Corporation at 121 N. Kenwood Street in cooperation with the Glendale YMCA, were approved by the Housing Authority and the City Council this month. Federal tax credits were also recently approved for the project. Construction is anticipated to start by December 2014 and to be completed by June 2016. The multi-family rental development will provide 69 affordable rental units. Priority will be given to those low income tenants who may be relocated from the site for development of the project, for income qualifying artist households who live, work, or perform in Glendale, and other households that live and/or work in Glendale. Stay tuned for more news about this new project. 

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

New California Energy Code Now in Effect



New changes to the California Energy Code just went into effect on July 1, 2014. There are significant changes to the forms, installation certifications, HERS testing requirements and lighting.

What is the California Energy Code and why is it important?
The Building Energy Efficiency Standards were first adopted in 1978. Since then they undergo periodic updates that have polished the standards into a valuable part of California's energy efficiency strategy. The standards have generated positive changes including significant cost savings to Californians since the code was enacted. 

The California Energy Commission has published a Summary of Major Changes to help you understand some of the changes to the code. More information about the new energy code, can be found in the 2013 Building Energy Efficiency Standards Manual.


Neighborhood Litter at a Glance

Annual citywide scores since the survey's inception in 2003

Ever wonder how litter in your neighborhood compares to other neighborhoods in the City? Each year, with the help of volunteers from the Committee for a Clean and Beautiful Glendale, City staff take to the streets to assess litter throughout the City. The annual Litter Index Survey scores 24 areas throughout the City including freeways, industrial, residential and commercial neighborhoods, generating a significant amount of litter data.

Volunteers use a 4-point scoring system to grade the neighborhood routes they are driven to by staff. Each route has a series of stops where litter is assessed based on the grading scale as follows:

Monday, July 21, 2014

Green Streets Demonstration Project

                 Southwest corner of Harvard St. and Louise St.
Plans are underway to construct the City’s first Green Streets Demonstration Project. This environmentally friendly project will take place on approximately 1.1 miles of roadway on Harvard Street between Brand Boulevard and Isabel Street, and on Louise Street between Maple Avenue and Wilson Avenue in downtown Glendale. It will provide a safe and inviting pathway to encourage walking and biking to the Central Library, Adult Recreation Center, YMCA, Americana at Brand, Glendale Galleria and the future Museum of Neon Art. Plans are to expand this pilot project into a city-wide network of greenways as discussed in the City’s adopted Bicycle Transportation Plan.

The major features of this project include:
  • Curb extensions with bioswales
    Curb extensions are an effective pedestrian safety tool. They shorten the distance a pedestrians must walk to cross an intersection and make pedestrians waiting to cross the street more visible to oncoming traffic. Additionally curb extensions create a traffic calming effect on busy streets. Bioswales and curb extensions often go hand in hand. Bioswales are landscape elements, created in order to clear away silt and pollution from surface runoff water. 

Friday, June 13, 2014

APA Recognizes Glendale’s Community Development Department

The Los Angeles Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA) recognized the City of Glendale and the Community Development Department (CDD) with several awards at their annual Awards Gala on June 12, 2012 at the Historic Los Angeles Theater in Downtown Los Angeles. These awards set the City of Glendale apart from other municipalities for its overall excellence and innovative approach to community development.

Distinguished Leadership Award  – [Public] Agency for 2014
Recognizes CDD as a leader in its field. The main distinguishing factor is the Department’s multiple divisions’ ability to continue to perform at an outstanding level, with internal consistency and collaboration between the divisions, in the face of the recession, loss of Redevelopment funding, major staff cuts and increasing workload.

Thursday, June 12, 2014

2014 Great American Clean Up Highlights

A variety of community beautification projects that have enhanced the City  were recently completed thanks to the help of over 400 volunteers who attended the 26th Annual Great American Clean Up. This year the event was all about “partnerships” and our partners made it possible for us to take on some in exciting new projects.

You can watch GTV6's coverage of the event in their latest episode of On the Move.
Great American Clean Up Photo Album

Here are a few highlights of the event day projects:




Beyond the Box- Utility Box Mural Project 

For the first time, volunteers had the opportunity to paint murals on utility boxes, thanks to the Glendale Arts & Culture Commission who created the Beyond the Box Mural Project to beautify the City’s Downtown area.

Map of Utility Box Locations.


Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Improvements for Permit Services Center Customers

The electronic customer flow systems gets you in and out faster. 
The Community Development Department (CDD) has taken steps recently to streamline some of its services to better serve the public. In an effort to make your next visit to the City’s Permit Services Center more pleasant and efficient, CDD has completed a mini face-lift with the following improvements: 
    • All forms are now available and accessible to the public on site.
    • A special area has been designated to allow you to complete forms comfortably.
    • Additional counter space has been created to assist you.
    • New signage that is easier to read and understand has been hung throughout.
    • An Electronic customer flow management system has been installed to reduce your wait time at the information desk, directing you more efficiently from one counter to the next.
    • A Customer Satisfaction box has been installed for your feedback and ideas. We want to hear from you about the services provided.
All application forms are readily available. 
New signs are easier to read and understand.

Coming Soon!

Be on the lookout for the following changes and improvements that are currently in the works at the Permit Services Center:
  • Online Appointment Scheduling - You will have the ability to make online appointments for services at the Permit Services Center using your home computer or smartphone.
  • Easy Access to Property Permits - A new and faster computer will be available for you to review property permits in an instant.



Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Jan Edwards Appointed to Building Official Post

Community Development Department (CDD) Director, Hassan Haghani, announced the appointment of Jan Edwards as the City’s new Building Official, effective June 1, 2014.  She has worked for the Glendale Community for 21 years beginning with the position of Structural Engineering Associate, and progressed to Plan Check supervisor, Civil Engineer 1, Senior Building Code Specialist, Principal Civil Engineer, and Deputy Building Official. 
Most recently, she had served as Interim Building Official since December 1, 2013 after Stuart Tom left the post to take on the role of Glendale Fire Marshal.  
Jan Edwards holds two Bachelor of Science degrees in Architecture and Architectural Engineering from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, and a Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership from Woodbury University.  She is a Certified Building Official and a Licensed Civil Engineer.
Ms. Edwards brings a collective 25 years of experience in the Building & Safety industry. “Jan is a valuable member of the Community Development team and the obvious choice for the position.  Not only is Jan fully grounded in the technical side of her profession, she is bringing a fresh vision for the Building and Safety Division” said Hassan Haghani.
As Interim Building Official Edwards initiated a multimedia public education campaign for Building Safety Month this past May. Her first official act was to name Jan Bear as the Deputy Building Official. Jan Bear has worked for Los Angeles, Beverly Hills and Santa Clarita Building Departments prior to switching to Glendale in February, 2000. Edwards’ and Bear’s joint experience and knowledge will serve the City of Glendale well as they continue to uphold the community’s high standards.

Affordable Housing Updates - June 2014


Several affordable housing projects are in various stages of development. Here is a brief update on some of these projects.

Cypress Senior Living – A 17-unit affordable housing apartment building for senior citizens, with 6 units reserved for senior veterans.  The Affordable Housing Lottery was held on May 15th and the applicants chosen first in the lottery are being interviewed now for lease up of the apartments. Rehabilitation of the building was completed in mid-May.
Read our March 2014 post about Cypress Senior Living.

Veterans Village – A 43-unit affordable apartment building with a preference for veterans and their families is under construction.  The subterranean structure is well underway, with floors and walls poured.  Capping the structure is expected in the next week.  The project should complete construction in June 2015.
Read our February 2014 post about Veterans Village.

Chestnut Habitat Homes – A 3-unit affordable new construction project for Low Income First Time Home Buyers.  Building permits were issued and site preparation and grading has begun.  Construction completion is projected for June 2015.  The selected home buyers will complete a minimum of 500 hours of “sweat equity” on the new homes as part of their down payment for purchase.
Read our March 2014 post about Chestnut Habitat Homes.

Rockhaven RFQ


The City of Glendale issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for development of the Rockhaven site at 2713 Honolulu Avenue. The City of Glendale, which owns the site, hosted two open house events for potential developers. These events were held at the Rockhaven Site in late May and early June with over 40 attendees. 

The city is looking to select a qualified developer that can meet the following goals:

Monday, April 14, 2014

Welcome Brockmont Park: Glendale’s Newest Historic District!

Valley View Road in the Brockmont Park Historic District.
Glendale City Council recently voted to designate the city’s sixth historic district - Brockmont Park.  This beautiful neighborhood in Northwest Glendale is notable not only for its excellent architecture, but also for its interesting history.

The area’s 59 homes are located north of Kenneth Road and roughly bounded by Merriman Drive on the west, Valley View Road on the east, and Cumberland Road and Arbor Drive at the north. Most of the houses were built between the late 1920s and middle 1950s and almost every major architectural style of those decades is represented. The neighborhood’s streets are distinctive for their mature trees, with entire blocks lined with either white pines, Canary pines, or fan palms.

The Brockman Clock Tower.
The new district is located on part of the former 140-acre estate of John Brockman, a self-made millionaire who struck it rich in the gold and silver mines of New Mexico and Arizona. Eventually settling in Los Angeles, he invested in real estate and became important in the growth and development of downtown – the Brockman Building at 7th and Grand still bears his name. In 1909, he bought land at the foot of the Verdugo Mountains to build his retirement home, which he called “Brockmont.” Along with the grand mansion, he built a four-story clock tower and created extensively landscaped grounds that included a lake with an island and a deer park. The house and the tower are both listed on the Glendale Register of Historic Resources and now look out over the new historic district. The district consists of the southern portion of the estate, which was laid out and developed as “Brockmont Park” by the Home Realty Company shortly after Brockman’s death in 1925. Promotional literature hailed the tract as “The Ideal Home Community” – a sentiment that local residents continue to share!

Brockmont Park joins the city’s five other historic districts, which help manage change in designated districts by making sure that alterations and additions visible from the street keep the historic character that makes Glendale’s older neighborhoods so desirable.

Please visit the Community Development Department's webpage for more information about historic preservation in Glendale.

Friday, April 11, 2014

Poster Contest Winner Announced

Over 400 students, parents and school officials gathered at the Glendale Civic Auditorium on April 9th to find out who the next  “I Love My Neighborhood” Poster Contest winner would be. 

Sixty-five finalists were selected from a pool of over 4,500 entries and were honored at the 21st annual poster contest awards ceremony where they each received a trophy. Posters were judged on technical merit, use of color and space and adherence to the contest theme,  “Me+Recycling=My Glendale.” This year participants were encouraged to think about how taking care of the environment would make a positive and lasting impact on the quality of life in the City of Glendale. The poster contest, yielded many creative and unusual posters. Participants let their imaginations soar as they depicted themselves as Glendale’s environmental stewards.

A countdown of the top ten posters culminated with the unveiling of Alexandra Schwalbach's grand prize winning poster. Alexandra, a 5th grader from Mountain Avenue Elementary School, will become a civic pride ambassador and will be invited to make appearances at various community functions.

The “I Love My Neighborhood” Poster Contest was developed in 1993 by the Committee for a Clean & Beautiful Glendale and City of Glendale staff to educate students and their families about civic responsibility and neighborhood pride. Standards aligned lessons and activities are provided in a teacher’s guide where students learn about the sources of litter and pollution prevention.


Click here to view the Awards Ceremony photo gallery.

Grand prize winning poster by Alexandra Schwalbach.
For more information about the “I Love My Neighborhood” Poster Contest, please contact Program Coordinator, Sandra Rodriguez at (818) 937-8333.

Thursday, March 20, 2014

Affordable Senior Housing Opportunities

A rather worn out 18 unit apartment building that was built in 1928 on Cypress Street, just east of Glendale Avenue, is being rehabilitated and will be given a new life as affordable housing for 17 senior citizen households. Six of the units will be reserved for senior citizen Veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces.

The building will have 4 one-bedroom and 14 studio units.  The building is undergoing major rehabilitation including new kitchens, bathrooms, flooring, windows, and heating and air conditioning systems to serve new low income residents.  The purchase and improvements are being funded with federal HOME program funds and funds from the Low Income Housing Tax Credit program, as well as investments from the developers.



Lottery applications can be downloaded and printed at
www.communitydevpartners.com/CypressSeniorLottery

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Habitat for Humanity Ground Breaking

Habitat Executive Director Sonja L. Yates with one of the new Habitat families (photo by SGV Habitat).
Three deserving low-income families will soon be able to call themselves homeowners thanks to the latest partnership between the City of Glendale and the San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity. These families participated in a ground breaking ceremony at the site of their future homes this past weekend. 

Three new 3-bedroom 2½ bath homes homes will be built on the 800th block of Chestnut Street in Glendale. The selected families will contribute a minimum of 500 hours of "sweat equity" to build their homes and will become long term partners with SGV Habitat as they continue to build more homes throughout the San Gabriel Valley. Chestnut Homes is the 8th Habitat development in Glendale; a testament to the City's commitment to building and providing affordable housing.  

SGV Habitat is still seeking donations for the Chestnut Homes build. To get involved, please visit www.sgvhabitat.org or call (626) 387-6899 extension 17.

Visit the ground breaking photo album.

Rendering

Friday, March 14, 2014

Building & Safety Division Named Best in California

Our Building & Safety staff was proud to be recognized with CALBO's Building Department of the Year Award.

CDD's Building & Safety Division was recognized as the “Building Department of the Year” during the California Building Officials’ (CALBO) Annual Business Meeting this month. The award recognizes a building department’s exceptional accomplishments in four key categories: education, state affairs, community involvement and innovation. 
Several programs set the City of Glendale Building & Safety Division apart from other state agencies:

Thursday, February 6, 2014

Affordable Housing 101


The Housing Division recently hosted three public meetings to inform the community about the status of affordable housing in Glendale. Citizens often contact us with questions about Section 8 or to inquire about the availability of affordable housing units in the City. These meetings were intended to answer some of the frequently asked questions and to shed some light on how affordable housing is accomplished in Glendale.

Over 500 people attended the meetings. Presentation were made in English, Spanish and Armenian and materials were provided to all attendees in their preferred language.

If you were not able to attend one of these meetings, please feel free to browse through the presentation slides and the printed materials that were distributed. If you have any questions, please contact the Housing Division at (818) 548-3936.

Monday, February 3, 2014

Building & Safety Code 2014

Every three years, the State of California adopts new model codes to establish uniform standards for the construction and maintenance of buildings, plumbing systems, mechanical systems, electrical systems, and fire & life safety systems. Pursuant to Health & Safety Code Section 18941.5, local jurisdictions are mandated to adopt such state codes, generally within 180 days after publication of the code by the California Building Standards Commission. 

Local adoption of such codes is mandated on January 1, 2014, and requires a four-fifths (4/5th) approval of the City Council. Prior to such adoption, jurisdictional bodies may amend said codes if such amendments are justified on the basis of a local climatic, local geological or local topographical condition which makes such amendment(s) necessary.

Staff from the Community Development’s Building and Safety Division and the Fire Department have reviewed the state codes, and have proposed a number of local amendments for adoption as the Building and Safety Code of the City of Glendale, 2014, with proper justifications to be submitted to the California Building Standards Commission. 

These amendments are deemed necessary to maintain the current level of protection throughout the City of Glendale, that has been provided through the current Glendale Building and Safety Code.  In fact, many of the proposed amendments have been carried over from the current code.

Five Properties Added to the Glendale Register of Historic Places


City Council recently voted to place five new properties on the Glendale Register of Historic Resources.
  1. The Municipal Services Building at 633 E. Broadway, Glendale Register's 100th Property
    It serves as an excellent example of 1960s Modern civic designs in Southern California. The building was designed by architect Merrill W. Baird of Glendale, working in collaboration with A. C. Martin Architects of Los Angeles, and completed in 1966 at a cost of $1.8 million.
  2. Glendale Register No. 101; the Webb House at 611 Cumberland Road
    The house is a notably late example of Period Revival architecture, built in 1950 and designed by George Postle of the father-son architectural firm Postle and Postle.
  3. The Municipal Services Building
    The Webb House