MEGA COMPLEXES

Speech given at Glendale City Council  3/5/l3.

Over the past 14 years, the Quality of Life in our “jewel city”, Glendale has not improved.

Council has decided to change the landscape of our downtown with many mega complexes of apts and condos. Controlled growth is nowhere to be found.

In a few short years, this council has helped change the face of Glendale by approving every apartment and condo development before them, including the corrupt public housing company, ADI.   

A partial list of apartments and condos approved by this council with minimum parking without a Traffic Circulation Infrastructure Plan includes:

Broadway Lofts    208 lofts including 14 low-income housing units on Broadway/Maryland...Inadequate parking provided for tenants and guests. Developer was given a $3 million parking concession over the life of the contract, of taxpayers’ money, for tenant usage of the Maryland Street public parking garage.

600 seat Laemmle Theatres with 42 lofts on Wilson/Maryland.  The City contributed $1.1 million toward only one level of parking. Developer was given a variance for 125 parking spaces. Developer saved millions of dollars by not requiring additional subterranean parking and council again allowed the usage of Maryland Street Public Parking Garage. 

NOW on Central the following properties:

Verdugo Gardens            220 mega apartments on Central/134 Fwy.

Legendary Towers          80 condos close to Central on Lexington/Orange

Right across the street from Legendary Towers close to Central again, Lexington and Orange 307 mega condo units.

Right across from the 307 mega condo units at 301 N. Central an 84 unit apartment building.

Holland Partners Properties located at Central/Wilson 153 mega rental units.

Salem Street near Central, the City allowed demolishing of two single family properties in order to build 44 low income housing units. The developer also allowed to use public parking lot #12.

Courtyard by Marriot Hotel 173 rooms on Central and Wilson. Inadequate parking for all the amenities for a hotel.  Additional parking provided by taxpayers at nearby public garages.  Developers save millions of dollars.  

Across the street at Wilson Ave. and Brand a 235 mega apartment complex in the heart of Glendale.

Former Jo-Ann Fabrics building on the southwest corner of Wilson and Orange, one block west of central 166 mega apartment complex.

The Hampton Inn at the corner of Brand and Colorado, five story 94 units with a variance of six fewer parking spaces.

And then we have South Glendale, at the corner of San Fernando and Los Feliz, right across from Memorial Hospital, the Triangle Project, and a 287 mega apartment complex with 22 low-income units.

And right next to that, at 435 Los Feliz, the Tropico mega apartment complex with 238 units and 12 low-income housing units. Also with parking variances.

In the last 4-6 years, this council has approved approximately 4,000 new units which will bring in over 10,000 new residents in downtown and south Glendale.  By increasing the density at an alarming rate, we will only accelerate and worsen an already congested situation.  

This council has absolutely no vision to allow developers to use the public parking spaces paid by the taxpayers for in the future, when the business climate improves on Brand and Central, folks who come to shop in Glendale will not be able to find convenient parking.

This city needs a new direction and leadership to improve our quality of life that we all once enjoyed.