Local residents are invited to attend a city of Glendale Design Review Board meeting regarding a proposal for a new 35,000-square-foot, three-level residential congregate living/medical facility and a new 36,783-square-foot, three-level parking garage at 1809 Verdugo Blvd.
The property under review is a Glendale address but shares property lines with La Cañada Flintridge. Four private homes in LCF that are across La Tour Way from the property could be affected.
The Thursday, Dec. 13, meeting will be held at 5 p.m. at 633 E. Broadway Ave. in Room 105 of the city’s Municipal Services Building.
According to a notice from Glendale, the city’s Community Development Department has prepared a “negative declaration” for the project after an initial study, which means it finds the proposal will not have significant environmental impacts. That report is available for review in person or through the Planning Division website at glendaleca.gov/environmental.
A group of current owners of units in the existing office complex, called “the 48%” of the Plaza Verdugo, opposes the proposal, citing significant inconvenience during and after construction, loss of views, possible reduction in value of units and loss of free parking, unknown costs to the plaza’s association and lack of transparency in the planning process, among other issues.
“This just feels like it’s trying to be shoved down our throats and under the wire,” said Marie Poore, who owns a therapy practice unit at the existing property, noting that no signage has been posted about the proposal at the lot and that information regarding it has been difficult to find.
The proposed residential congregate living/medical facility is set to be an assisted living facility and could generate huge traffic concerns, especially for USC Verdugo Hills Hospital across the street, she added.
Poore notified the city of La Cañada Flintridge and said it had not been informed of the proposal either.
“The city of La Cañada Flintridge also has lots of questions about this,” she noted.
The applicant for the proposal is listed as Stuart Ahn, according to the DRB meeting notice. Ahn owns a controlling 52% of the property, Poore said.
The current cul-de-sac to the property, La Tour Way, is a shared road between Glendale and LCF, according to Googlemaps.com.
LCF city officials were not available for comment on Wednesday, as city offices were closed in observance of former President George H.W. Bush’s funeral. For more information on the proposal, contact the city of Glendale case planner, Dennis Joe, at djoe@glendaleca.gov or (818) 937-8157.
Residents Invited to Weigh In on Verdugo Blvd. Proposal
