CDD Profiles: Mark Newman

Mark Newman is a "jack of all trades," 20 different trades to be exact. As a Building Inspector with the City's Building & Safety Division, Mark applies his extensive knowledge and expertise on a daily basis. Although he has been employed by the City for only 3 years, Glendale has gained a substantial number of new building assets as a result of his contributions.   

The Nuts & Bolts

One might ask, “What exactly does a building inspector do?” When a developer, property owner or builder wants to do some building construction, they get a set of construction plans (drawings and specifications) approved by a plan checker at the Permit Services Center.  who makes sure the plans conform to state building codes that ensure the safety of future occupants. 

Inspections
With a building permit now in hand, a builder may begin construction on a project. At certain milestones throughout the project, the builder must get their work inspected to ensure all construction is being done in compliance with the approved plans. This is when they make an appointment to have the building inspector visit the construction site.

Glendale Beeline Welcomes Special Olympics!

The Special Olympics World Summer Games are coming to Los Angeles this summer. Over 7,000 athletes from 177 countries will compete in the games which open on July 25, 2015. In addition to the athletes, over 30,000 volunteers will participate behind the scenes to make sure this year's games are a big success.  

Glendale Beeline, in partnership with Metro, is supporting the Special Olympics this summer by providing free 9-day passes to the volunteers who are helping out at the sports venues all over LA County. Special Olympics organizers will receive regular blue TAP cards with the 9-day calendar-based pass that will be good throughout the Special Olympics event on participating transit agencies, including Glendale Beeline. The Special Olympic volunteers will also receive information on how to use the card, how to access trip planning information and a list of participating transit agencies. 

Fresh Plans for Historic Masonic Temple

The Masonic Temple (234-238 S. Brand Blvd.) was added
to the Glendale Register of Historic Resources in 1997.

The life of the Masonic Temple has taken many unexpected twists and turns since it was built on the cusp of the Great Depression. Its latest chapter promises to breath new life into one of Glendale's most prominent landmarks. 

The Masonic Temple was built in 1928 for the Unity Lodge. As fortune would have it, they only owned the building until 1934 when it was lost to foreclosure. Although the building continued to be occupied by several Masonic groups in the decades to follow, its lack of windows and unusual floor plan made it difficult to occupy. Its last tenant, A Noise Within Theater Company, occupied the lower floors of the building from 1991 to 2011. In 2013, the building owner obtained approval for several alterations and upgrades that were started but never completed. 

The recent acquisition of the Masonic Temple by Caruso Affiliated will revitalize this historic landmark by allowing the unusually configured interior spaces to meet the needs of a modern office environment, while retaining its historic character and eligibility to continue listing on Glendale's Register of Historic Resource.

The Historic Preservation Commission has reviewed and approved Caruso Affiliated's rehabilitation proposal (Commission meetings held on 04/16/15 & 05/21/15). Highlights of the proposed renovations include: 

• Restoration of the entry facade and its related features including entry arch, ironwork, the window above the primary door, black granite cladding at the base of the entire south facade, the two arches a the sides of the entry and the storefronts at the north and south side of the main entrance,
• the installation of an open steel frame stair tower adjacent to the southwest corner of the building, 

CDD Profiles: Anahid Arakelian

Anahid Arakelian welcomes challenges with open arms. 

Anahid Arakelian is an Office Services Specialist in the Community Development Department. She is one of those employees that form the backbone of the City of Glendale. She provides administrative services to the CDD and is seen as an employee that exemplifies loyalty and dependability, with a reputation for being conscientious and caring.

Anahid began working at the City of Glendale 15 years ago in the Redevelopment Department. She provided administrative assistance and acted as a Project Manager overseeing over 22 facade improvement grants totaling $1 million  to local businesses. When the grant program was later audited, Anahid’s grant administration files were flawless. When a State Law mandated the dissolution of Redevelopment, Anahids duties changed and she was given more responsibility. She rose to the challenge and after receiving limited training, successfully took on her new duties. Anahid is always looking for ways to grow professionally and welcomes the opportunity to take on new responsibilities. 

Today, her work involves processing virtually every kind of payment type used in the City, including invoices, credit card statements, petty cash reimbursements, payroll, and deposits. She also processes purchase orders, manages contracts, and maintains over 160 vendor insurance requirements. She provides numerous secretarial services including scheduling meetings and maintaining filing systems. She also acts as an Emergency Operations Center liaison, by helping to coordinate evacuations, trainings and ensuring that staff is prepared for emergencies.

Anahid’s work philosophy is to listen, be respectful, and inject love into her work, which she believes positively impacts her interactions with the public and fellow employees. She believes in treating the public with dignity, and goes home happy about the fact that she works with good people and that she is able to make her Department better. She believes in the saying, “The best preparation for good work tomorrow is to do good work today” by Elbert Hubbard.