Affordable Housing Question & Answer Meetings

ARMENIAN VIDEO                   SPANISH VIDEO

The Community Development Department’s Housing Division will host three informational meetings about affordable housing. 

Attendees will have an opportunity to ask questions following a presentation that will cover many topics, including:

• How to qualify for affordable housing
• the housing lottery process
• future affordable housing projects/opportunities, and
• Section 8 waiting list

Successor Agency Completes Final Task

Recently, the Glendale Successor Agency completed a major milestone having submitted the last report required by the Department of Finance (DOF) to complete the dissolution of redevelopment in Glendale. The Agency has been undergoing numerous reviews of its funds and assets, the final one required being a review of its real property assets. The Agency submitted its Long Range Property Management Plan to the DOF, which provides a detailed inventory of its properties and its plan for disposing of those properties. In some cases the Agency will transfer property to the City of Glendale for government use. In others the Agency will retain the property to fulfill its existing contractual obligations. The Long Range Property Management Plan proposes only one property for sale, a group of storefronts on Maryland Avenue. The Agency is now waiting for DOF to review and approve the Plan. Initial word on the review is not expected until early-2014 at which time DOF is expected to release guidelines for how the one property should be sold.

Moving forward, Agency efforts will focus on the completion of all existing contractual obligations. The Agency will undergo funding review every 6 months by DOF for those obligations, but there are no other significant deadlines.

Elevé Offers Affordable Housing Opportunities

Several new apartment buildings have been approved in Glendale that will provide 5 to 10% of their total units as affordable housing through density bonus agreements with the City of Glendale. Elevé Lofts and Skydeck at 200 E. Broadway is the first of these buildings to complete construction and is now leasing. Elevé has 208 apartment units with 14 being offered as affordable units to very low income households.

An affordable housing lottery was held on November 18, 2013 at Elevé to select potential future very low income tenants from the over 6,000 applications received from households interested in renting an affordable unit. Approximately 4,400 applications were determined eligible and two hundred applications were selected in the lottery. The property management company is currently contacting the selected applicants in the order their application was selected. If, following a review of a complete application, the applicants are considered income and property eligible, they will be offered one of the affordable units. The remaining selected applications will be kept on a waiting list for future vacancies at Elevé.

The affordable unit mix at Elevé includes 5 studios, 5 one-bedrooms, 5 one-bedrooms plus loft and 1 two-bedroom unit. Rents will range from $567 to $729 per month in 2013. Rents may increase annually based upon an affordable rent schedule published by the State of California.

Elevé affordable apartments have the same finish materials as the market rate units and share the same amenities. The building has a a 26,000 Skydeck offering 24/7 sky and star gazing space that comes free with the apartments. The Skydeck also features large screen televisions, free hi-speed wi-fi in common spaces, a high-tech gym, a dog park and an event & party space. Elevé Apartments in Glendale are brand new, green (Silver LEED) and within walking distance to great shopping, dining and entertainment destinations.

For more information about Elevé, please visit their webpage.

CDD Employee Recognized

2013 Rosie Award Recipients
Antonio Ligon, Mansour Qwaider & Julio Hernandez 

Each year Glendale City Employees have the opportunity to nominate a fellow employee for the prestigious Rosie Award. This award was named after Rosie Flores Gritzewsky, a City employee who was devoted to serving others. She was proud to be a Glendale Employee and was an example of professionalism, respect, kindness and humor. The Rosie Award is the highest recognition that can be given to a City employee for outstanding dedication and commitment to professional customer service and compassionate human relations. The City's Human Relations Committee reviews all nominations and makes their selection each fall.

This year, the Community Development Departments very own Julio Hernandez was one of three City employees honored with the Rosie Award. Julio is in charge of supervising the City’s Court-Ordered Community Service Program, overseeing workers as they perform right-of-way beautification and community improvement projects. He also supervises workers in clean up and maintenance projects on private property through the Property Clean Up Program (PCUP). His co-workers and clients regularly commend him on his excellent leadership and customer service skills. We congratulate Julio on this well deserved recognition!

Award Presentation Video. 

New Neighborhood Applies for Historic District Designation

Recently, several residents of Niodrara Drive in the Verdugo Woodlands neighborhood applied to create a small historic district of 32 single-family homes. The proposed district is strongly defined by its landscape and streetscape features, most notably the flowing stream running alongside portions of the street. Lots of mature trees, including a big sycamore rising from a small island in the middle the street, help define the character of the area. Stone curbs, as well as remnants of original bridges and railings along the stream-bed enhance the neighborhood's unique rustic character. Homes of different styles and eras line the street. These provide a visual timeline of the neighborhood’s development, which began soon after it was subdivided by the Verdugo Land Company in 1910 and continued bit by bit through subsequent decades.

In September, the Historic Preservation Commission accepted and approved a petition asking the city to conduct a historic resource survey for the area to determine if it meets the criteria for designation. Once this is completed, residents will have the opportunity to sign another petition, this time requesting that City Council designate the district. If successful, Niodrara Drive will join the city’s five other historic districts, which help neighborhoods manage future changes by making sure that alterations and additions visible from the street keep the historic character that makes Glendale’s older neighborhoods so desirable.

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

Connecting the Dots: Minelie Asadorian Masihi

From time to time local high school students have the opportunity to gain valuable work experience by volunteering with the Community Development Department. Meet Minelie Asadorian Masihi, a recent volunteer at our Building & Safety Division.

By: Minelie Asadorian Masihi

As the U.S. economy experienced a downward spiral, job opportunities dwindled. Many well-educated citizens with college degrees struggled to find suitable jobs, but I was fortunate enough as a teenager to be given the opportunity to volunteer for the City of Glendale's Building and Safety Division where I was eventually hired as a part-time worker. 

I had met many pessimistic individuals who were giving misleading and narrow-minded advice to teenagers, urging us to avoid office jobs and instead suggesting that teens only belonged in retail jobs. Working at Building and Safety proved the exact opposite. Not only did this job give me the opportunity and knowledge to provide for my financial needs on my own, but it also offered me experience working in an office environment. There, I had the chance to meet successful people who motivated me to make education a priority. Working for this department has been a motivation for me strive to ascend to higher positions in the future.

The best factor that will be on my resume in the future will be the fact that my first job was working I have worked in this type of department. The Building and Safety Division deserves to be recognized as one of the most involved, helpful and most caring agencies of the City of Glendale.  As a result, I would recommend that other cities and departments use them as an example of getting involved in the community for a chance to improve our rapidly changing country.

Note: Minelie Asadorian Masihi is a Glendale resident and started attending Glendale Community College this Fall.

About "Connecting the Dots"

The Community Development Department prides itself in providing a broad spectrum of high quality services to anyone seeking assistance from our team. Developers, teachers, homeowners, contractors, high school students, Realtors and kindergartners are just a few of the people that come into contact with our staff on a regular basis. We help you build your home or start a business. We help you get involved in your community and we help improve the quality of life in your neighborhood. "Connecting the Dots" is all about the people we serve.

Glendale's Newest Historic Register Properties

The Farmer House at 1753 Hillcrest Avenue.

City Council recently voted to place three new properties on the Glendale Register of Historic Resources.

1. The Farmer House at 1753 Hillcrest Avenue is a beautiful two-story Spanish Colonial Revival-style residence set on a hillside in the Brockmont neighborhood.   
2. The the Thompson-Howe House at 1050 Hillcroft Road is a lovely three-story Spanish Colonial Revival-style house built in 1928 in what is now the Rossmoyne Historic District.
3. Finally, Burkhard House at 1471 Royal Boulevard is a Modern-style house located in the Royal Boulevard Historic District. Paul Burkhard, Sr. was a prominent builder, banker, and policy advisor, who also served as mayor of Glendale in the early 1950's. The house was designated for both its architectural character and its association with Burkhard, whose son Paul was its architect.  

The Thompson-Howe House

The Burkhard House

The Glendale Register is the city’s official list of properties that are important to our heritage. Property owners can submit a nomination that details the historic background and existing appearance of the site, which is reviewed by the Historic Preservation Commission and City Council. Once approved, the property is added to the Register and its historic character will be maintained for years to come. Owners of listed properties are eligible to participate in the city's Mills Act program, which can provide a significant reduction in property taxes in exchange for the owner's commitment to maintaining the property at the highest level of preservation. 

Please visit the Community Development Department's webpage for more Historic Register and Mills Act information.

Park Paseo Lottery Results

On Wednesday, October 30, 2013, the be.group (a non-profit provider of senior housing communities) held a lottery drawing for the opening of Park Paseo’s waiting list.  750 numbers were drawn.

Park Paseo is a  98 unit senior building located at 123 S. Isabel Street.

The results of the lottery can be viewed below. They are sorted in two ways:

1. By applicant number.
2. By waiting list priority number.

Affordable Senior Housing Unit Available

Affordable Senior Housing Unit Available

VIDEO: An Inside Look at Glendale's Graffiti Removal Program

Graffiti abatement techniques and practices have evolved in the years that Program Specialist Javier Covarrubias has been on the City’s graffiti removal team. Covarrubias helped lead the shift from an outdated “cover up” strategy to what he calls “surface restoration”, a specialized but highly efficient “removal” technique.

Watch this short video to see Javier in action.

Painting over graffiti, even graffiti on sidewalks, was not uncommon 20 years ago.  This he attributes to a lack of available technology at the time. Today the Graffiti Response Team tackles this blight in a vehicle custom-designed with Glendale in mind. For example, the truck is built on a smaller chassis, allowing it to fit in narrower streets which make accessing some hillside neighborhoods, like Adams Hill, safer and easier. The graffiti removal vehicle is fully equipped with the latest graffiti removal equipment and eco-friendly removal solvents.

Brand Blvd. Welcomes New Tenants

207 Goode Avenue.

The Glendale office towers along North Brand Blvd. are boasting several new high profile tenants, reaffirming that the City’s Class A Office environment is making a strong comeback from the Great Recession. Avery Dennison Corporation, a global leader in labeling and packaging materials and solutions, will relocate its corporate headquarters from Pasadena to the state-of-the-art, office building at 207 Goode Avenue in Glendale.  The company is expected to move in early 2014. Avery Dennison, joins Whole Foods Market’s Southern Pacific regional headquarters as tenants in the building and will occupy 54,488 square feet on two floors, which can accommodate more than 200 employees. 

The 207 Goode building features brand new construction, efficient floor plates and a LEED Gold rating from the U.S. Green Building Council. The iconic Avery Dennison logo will marquee the south side of the building parapet and will be visible to motorists traveling on the 134 Freeway.

Earlier this year, New York Life also took space in a North Brand office tower at 801 N. Brand, and Nestle continues to anchor the area at their 800 N. Brand location. Another two key occupants, Trader Joes Market and Walgreens, have entered agreements to occupy the property at 101 E. Glenoaks, and provide much desired walking-distance amenities to office workers north of the 134 Freeway.  Construction on the two stores is expected to begin this fall.

Connecting the Dots: Matthew Alongi

Did you know that CDD works with emerging young professionals who are seeking experience to successfully launch their careers? Meet recent Building & Safety Intern, Matthew Alongi.

By: Matthew Alongi

In recent years, the job market has become increasingly competitive as a result of the economic downturn. This trend has made a pronounced impact in the engineering field. Earning good grades, although important, will no longer guarantee a desirable job to recent graduates. Employers have become more selective and are looking for candidates that stand out. Students must now also accrue career related work experience during their college years in order to impress potential employers. For this reason I was ecstatic to be offered the opportunity to work at the City of Glendale's Building & Safety Division two years ago as a summer intern.
           

The internship, was an incredibly valuable experience in more ways than one. It considerably strengthened my resume, which will set me apart from other candidates when I apply for engineering jobs after college. However, even more valuable was the real-life engineering experience and knowledge I was able to take away from my summer working in Building and Safety. The internship allowed me to glean a real sense of what a job in civil engineering would be like. I became friends and keep in touch with several of the professional engineers at the office. They are not only great contacts for job applications, but are also very helpful in providing career advice.

Affordable Housing Update

Offering affordable housing opportunities is a high priority for the City's Housing Division.  We are excited to announce that two new affordable housing developments for renters are now starting construction.

Cypress Senior Apartments

The existing apartment building at 311 E. Cypress will be modernized and renovated starting next month.  The new name for the building will be “Cypress Senior Apartments.”  Upon completion of the work, the 17 affordable apartments will be available to low income senior citizens who are 62 years of age or older.  Senior citizen veterans will be given first priority for six of the apartment units. Marketing and lease up of the four one-bedroom and 14 studio apartment units will begin in the Spring of 2014, a few months before the building is expected to be open for new occupants.

Veterans Village

“Veterans Village” is a new apartment building to be built at 327-331 W. Salem Street.  Design approvals and financing are now in place and construction is expected to soon.  Development is estimated to cost $15.46 million and Low Income Housing Tax Credits will be invested in the project as well as federal HOME funds from the Housing Authority.  

Rendering: Veterans Village

Veterans Village Site Before Construction

The Housing Authority will purchase Parking Lot 12 from the City and it will be redeveloped as part of the site for the affordable apartments. The 43 affordable rental units will serve lower income families and a preference will be given to veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces during lease up. It is expected that marketing efforts will begin in Fall 2014 so the residents will be ready to move in during the late spring of 2015.

Get on the Waiting List: Park Paseo

Adults 62 years of age or older and/or disabled adults 18 years and older may now apply to be added to the Park Paseo waiting list. The 98- unit apartment building for elderly and disabled persons will open its waiting list on September 11, 2013 and will closed once again on September 25, 2013.

Applicants must meet HUD Income Limits for Los Angeles County, which are no more than $29,000 per year for a single person household and no more than $33,150 per year for a two person household. Residents will pay approximately 30% of their adjusted income towards rent.

Applications can be requested by phone at (866) 306-3465 and can also be downloaded at www.thebegroup.org/parkpaseo.

To be included in the lottery drawing, your application must be postmarked no later than September 25, 2013 and mailed to:

Park Paseo
501 West Glenoaks Blvd. #34
Glendale, CA 91202

Only one application per household will be accepted for the lottery drawing.

Sign Up for Planning Project Notifications

Now you can sign up to receive weekly e-mail updates containing:

• Activity Reports to find out what planning application we have received in the past week.
• View an interactive map of current planning projects throughout the city.

Whether you're interested in learning about the projects going on in your neighborhood or throughout the City, these updates will give you the latest information.

When you sign up to receive these updates we will only send you relevant information and will use a variety of measures to protect your personal information.

Affordable Home Ownership Opportunity for Low Income Families

Three new homes will soon be under construction at 806 E. Chestnut Street. San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity will be working with the City to develop these homes. Applications to buy the homes will be available to interested low income home-buyer families at two upcoming community meetings.  Families must be willing to provide “sweat equity” as well as a small down payment in order to buy.

As part of the Habitat for Humanity community, the first time home buyer families help build the homes along with other community volunteers. It is an inspiring process as the families get to know their neighbors and the construction elements of their home during the Habitat “build” process. A total of 34 homes have been built through this partnership with Habitat for Humanity in Glendale. 

The Habitat families continue to support each other and the new home-buyers with each new “build”. Priority in the selection process will be given to families that are currently living in poor housing conditions, are paying more than they can afford for rent, and to those families that live and/or work in Glendale.  

Applications will be given out at the community meetings to be held at the Adult Recreation Center at 201 E. Colorado Street in Glendale.  Free parking is available with validation (3 hours) at the Market Place Parking Structure across from the Central Library at Harvard Street and Maryland Avenue.

Interested families must attend one of the following meetings in order to pick up an application:

• Thursday, October 3rd at 7 pm.

• Saturday, October 5th at 3 pm.

Click here for more information on the Habitat for Humanity website.

Affordable Housing at Elevé Apartments

Elevé Apartments, located at at 200 East Broadway, will rent 14 units as affordable housing to very low income households. These 14 units consist of a mix of studios, 1 bedroom lofts and 2 bedroom units.

Tenants will be selected through a lottery process. 200 applications will be selected. Priority will be given to very low income applicants who live and/or work in Glendale.

Applications will be made available for a two week period only, beginning on Monday, August 5 and ending on Monday, August 19.  

Applications can be downloaded and printed at the Community Development Department's Housing Division webpage starting August 5th. They will also be available during normal business hours at the following locations:

Armenian Relief Society 517 W. Glenoaks Blvd. Glendale, CA 91202

Catholic Charities 4322 San Fernando Rd. Glendale, CA 91204

Community Development Dept. Housing Division 141 N. Glendale Ave., Ste. 202 Glendale, CA 91206

To be included in the lottery, your application must be postmarked no later than 8/19/2013 and mailed to: 
Eleve Lofts & Skydeck - P.O. Box 1207 - Glendale, CA 91209.

VIDEO: Michael Nilsson Earns Advanced APA Certification

Obtaining an advanced specialty certification from the American Planning Association is no easy task, which is why the we are proud to have Mobility Planner, Michael Nilsson, on our team. This past week we learned that Michael passed a rigorous 3-hour exam, the final hurdle in becoming a Certified Transportation Planner. In order to be eligible to take the exam, candidates must have a minimum of 8 years of experience in Transportation Planning and on average only 40% of those who take the exam actually pass it.

Michael plays a vital role in ensuring that Glendale's transportation system meets the needs of everyone who lives, works and plays in the City. He has achieved an exceptional level of expertise in his specialized field. This latest accomplishment is a testament to his commitment to professional excellence in the City organization. 

Watch this short video to learn more about Michael's role as the City's Mobility Planner.

South Brand Study Results

The South Brand Boulevard Preferential Parking Study is part of a two and a half year effort to resolve on-street parking issues in the South Brand Boulevard neighborhood. This neighborhood is approximately bound by the south side of Colorado Street, the west side of Glendale Avenue, the north side of San Fernando Road and the east side of Central Avenue.

The primary goal of this effort was to create a comprehensive set of parking solutions for the neighborhood and effectively respond to increasing concerns from area residents regarding the availability of on-street parking. In community meetings there were contrasting opinions and competing interests from local residents and businesses on how to institute a preferential parking program for the South Brand Boulevard area. However, local residents and businesses agreed that the existing guest parking permit program needs to be modified to limit abuse, and both groups agreed that more enforcement is needed to maintain the overall effectiveness of the Preferential Parking Program. No major objections were raised by residents or businesses in regards to district-based preferential parking. 

The study analyzed parking conditions in the neighborhood, surveyed local businesses on employee parking habits and solicited public input at over two dozen community meetings.

The following provisions were implemented based on the public's feedback:

Why's the Greener Glendale Plan So Special?

Last month we announced that the Greener Glendale Plan had received the Award of Excellence for Innovation in Green Community Planning from the Los Angeles Chapter of the American Planning Association (read announcement). So, what sets the Greener Glendale Plan apart from those in other cities? Here's a more detailed look at why we think the plan is so special.

What is the Green Glendale Plan?
Greener Glendale is an innovative plan that sets a new standard for climate action and sustainability planning. It is designed to be replicated by other local governments with limited staff resources. The community benefits from the plan because it directs future City programs and policies to improve environmental quality of life in Glendale.  These policies address air and water quality, parks and trees, more transportation choices, better planned land uses and more.

The Greener Glendale Plan is composed of three documents:

• Greener Glendale: 2010 Report, which provides an assessment of existing conditions and initial promotion of the project.
• Greener Glendale for Municipal Operations, which addresses sustainability of the internal operations of the local municipal government, the City of Glendale.  This included participation from every City department within the organization.

Post Office Relocation

Glendale Post Office Proposed Relocation

A message from the U.S. Postal Service concerning the Proposed Relocation of the Glendale Post Office located at 313 E. Broadway. 

Plan Check FAQs

Projects requiring a Building Permit must go through the City’s Plan Check Process. During this process, various City Departments review your project to ensure that it is in compliance with the City's regulations and codes. Plan check plays an important role in ensuring that your finished project is safe and properly designed.

We have compiled a list of frequently asked questions which will help you on your way to successfully completing your plan check and your project.

Pride of Buckingham - Volunteer Spotlight

Leticia Gonzalez

Leticia Gonzalez, her neighbor Robin Rose and their husbands, Paul and Ken, joined the City’s Adopt-a-Block Program in July of 2007. They recruited some of their neighbors to pick up litter in their neighborhood and named their group “Pride of Buckingham,” a reflection of the sense of pride and ownership they feel for their Buckingham Road neighborhood. Since then, their adopted area has grown to include parts of Chevy Chase Drive and Linda Vista Avenue. We asked Leticia a few questions about her experience volunteering for the program and her perspectives on being a Glendale resident.

Q: How long have you lived in Glendale & what brought you to the City?

A: I moved to Glendale over 15 years ago to further my career in real estate.

Q: What do you love about Glendale as a whole and about your neighborhood?

A: I love Glendale’s diversity, it’s historic architecture, convenient location to Los Angeles and my neighborhood is fantastic! It’s a small sliver of the “country” in the concrete jungle that is the Los Angeles metropolis. We have wonderful neighbors who share a sense of community and caring unlike any other I've ever experienced. We look after one another and appreciate our canyon, its beauty and wildlife.

Affordable Housing: 2 Units Available For Rent

Affordable Apartment for Rent in Glendale, CA

Historic Preservation - Introduction

Historic Preservation

The City of Glendale is committed to the preservation of its historic buildings, neighborhoods, and sites as part of its overall goal of planning for the future. By looking back and preserving key places that contribute to the shared history of all city residents - past, present, and future - we establish a framework that allows the city to develop, grow, and prosper without erasing the heritage that helps define Glendale and its people.

For more information about historic preservation status, public meetings, and frequently asked questions, visit our Historic Preservation Homepage.

What's Your Neighborhood's Litter Grade?

The City’s annual Litter Index Survey, which evaluates the amount of litter found in residential, commercial and industrial neighborhoods as well as some freeway on and off ramps was just completed and the litter “grades” are in.  Volunteers from the Committee for a Clean & Beautiful Glendale and city staff partner to conduct the annual survey.

The city is divided into 24 routes that are driven and evaluated for litter by a group of volunteers and city staff.  Each route has a series of stops.  Each stop gets a score on a scale from 1-4.  Scores are averaged for each route and then a citywide average is calculated.

The Scoring Scale:
1 - No Litter
2 - Slightly Littered
3 - Littered
4 - Extremely Littered

Glendale Recognized for Excellence in Planning & Sustainability

The Los Angeles Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA) recognized the City of Glendale with two Awards of Excellence at their annual Awards Gala on June 13, 2013 at the historic San Gabriel Mission Playhouse.

Doran Gardens

The Award of Excellence for a Hard-Won Victory recognizes the successful completion of the Doran Gardens affordable housing project in the face of overwhelming obstacles and challenges throughout the development process. The project involved a complex, first-of-its-kind financing strategy that weathered through the housing market downturn and other related hurdles.

• Doran Gardens on ABC 7.
• Doran Garden Informational Video

Federal Budget Cuts Impact Glendale

The ten years of automatic, across-the-board budget cuts otherwise known as "Sequestration" started March 1st. Due to the inability of Congress to pass legislation on balanced deficit reduction to avoid sequestration, the President was required by law to issue a sequestration order on March 1, 2013. This order called for the canceling of approximately $85 billion in budgetary resources across the Federal government for the rest of the Federal fiscal year. 

Sequestration has wide spread effects on programs that get a large portion of their funding from the Federal government. One such program is the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program. For the past 5 years, HCV, formerly known as the Section 8 Housing Assistance Program, has had inadequate and declining funding. Now these limited funds will have to suffer another fiscal blow triggered by the sequestration order.  

How does this affect Glendale? On a local level, housing authorities such as the City of Glendale Housing Authority have had to scramble to offset the potentially ill effects of this federal cost cutting method. Based on analysis, housing assistance funding for the HCV program would be cut significantly. These cuts come at a time when the number of low-income families in need of housing assistance has been rising substantially. Those in the affordable housing field and those who live in federally-assisted housing are being warned by HUD to prepare accordingly as housing authorities identify resources and methods to sustain current participants on the program.

For more information about Glendale's housing programs, please call (818) 548-3936.

Contractor Notifications

If you are a  contractor conducting business in Glendale, you are required to get a license from the City. But with similar requirements in other municipalities, it may be difficult to keep up with various license renewals. Glendale's Building and Safety Division has developed a new system for notifying Contractors of their  license’s expired status when performing work within the City of Glendale. 

As of April 2013, Contractors with active permits began to receive written notification that their City business licenses had expired. By alerting Contractors of their active permits and requirement for license renewal, Building and Safety staff ensures that no construction work is left unfinished in the community, while ensuring the work is performed in a legal and safe manner.

This new notification service for contractors is an extra tool in ensuring that all construction work in the City is completed properly and in a timely manner, by preventing permit inspection delays due to expired licenses.  These new yearly notices will be sent starting December 2013. 

For more information or to contact the Building and Safety Division, please call (818) 548-3200.

Arts & Entertainment District Update

Museum of Neon Art by Shimoda Design Group

The "Arts & Entertainment District" is a designated area where the clustering of theaters, music and comedy clubs, art galleries and other venues for live entertainment is encouraged, in addition to spin-off restaurants and bars. The "Special District Licenses of Entertainment and Operators and Entertainment Promoters" Ordinance is now in place which affects these type of businesses. 

This ordinance requires a licenses for business owners of nightclubs, taverns and indoor recreation establishments, as well as for managers of those establishments. Any outside promoter at a nightclub would also need a City license.  The license application review process investigates the individual's backgrounds, including live-scan fingerprinting, as well as the licensee’s history of previous licenses in Glendale and in other cities. The review of the licenses is conducted through the Community Development Department.  

The Downtown Arts and Entertainment District is located near the center of downtown Glendale.  The district is anchored by the Alex Theatre to the north and the Central Library and soon-to-be Museum of Neon Art (MONA) to the south. The District enforces uniform standards for the sale and service of alcohol in dining and entertainment venues, and streamlines the entitlement process for prospective businesses, a key aspect in attracting new investment.

For more information regarding the Special District Licenses of Entertainment and Operators and Entertainment Promoters ordinance in the Arts and Entertainment District please contact Sona Mooradian at (818)937-8178.

25th Anniversary: Great American Clean Up

Approximately 200 volunteers participated in the Great American Clean Up (GAC) on Saturday, May 18th. This year marked the 25th Anniversary of Glendale's Great American Clean Up which started in 1988 as Glendale’s Great Graffiti Paint Out and Community Clean Up Day. This community service event was developed to engage the community in addressing the problem of graffiti throughout the city. Through the years, graffiti became less prolific and other beautification components were added such as weed abatement projects on remnant parcels which later evolved into the construction of community gardens on some of the same remnant parcels.  

In 2002, the city became a Keep America Beautiful (KAB) Affiliate and changed the name of the National Great American Clean Up, when millions of volunteers across the United States conduct thousands of community services projects throughout the Nation. The Committee for a Clean and Beautiful Glendale and the Community Development Department partner each year with local sponsors to host the event. This year's top level sponsors include The Walt Disney Company, Glendale Water and Power, Glendale Public Works and the Glendale Association of Realtors.