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.