By Julie BUTCHER

At a special meeting Tuesday afternoon, the Glendale City Council took steps to temporarily halt the development of new hotels in Glendale’s downtown. Assistant director of Community Development Bradley Calvert explained that “the moratorium must be related to potential or studied changes to the land use code” and that the city would study the need for more hotel rooms during the pause.

Right now, there are 1,193 hotel rooms in the city’s downtown area. Historically, new rooms have entered the hotel market every other year with 414 new rooms added since 2016. The city predicts 137 new rooms in 2023 and a net gain of 78 in 2025, representing an 18% increase in the room count. It will not be possible to study the hotel market until late 2022, staff added, due to the impacts of the pandemic.

Councilmember Dan Brotman noted that the city’s last study shows an 80% increase in room capacity since 2016 and that the study highlights the city’s lack of extended-stay and luxury hotel options.

Danielle Wilson called in representing UNITE HERE Local 11 and thanked Councilmember Brotman “for bringing this forward.”

“It’s timely, it’s necessary, and it makes sense – you know that we support this, the necessity for input in the process, at the very least through a CUP [conditional use permit, an added layer of development review]. It is exciting to see the city of Glendale contemplate measures like the CUP, at the vanguard of hotel planning here.

“As we’ve said before, hotels uniquely crowd out housing and the connection has never been made clearer than through the pandemic. Plus, the workers who make up the backbone of the hotel industry deserve to weigh in during the hotel development process as they are the experts on everything from mitigating hotel traffic to designing what chemicals are used in the laundry that negatively impact both the environment and their bodies.”

Councilmember Vrej Agajanian commented on the importance of respecting the rights of businesses.

“I just want to say, in my opinion, if any group or person comes forward and wants to build a hotel – I do not have a problem with a company or person who doesn’t ask for any incentive or money from us, to stop them from what they want to do. That’s my concern because this is a free country.

“I’ve been asking, ‘How many hotels do we need?” Agajanian said, adding that he would like to see a luxury hotel in Glendale so those who are able can spend their money in Glendale instead of in neighboring cities.

Councilmember Ardy Kassakhian observed that travel remains down, and hotel occupancy is barely back up to 60%.

At the beginning of the council’s evening meeting on Tuesday, the council invited representatives of the city’s Library Arts & Culture department to explain a grant of $10,000 the city received from the Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC)’s “communities for immunity” efforts to recruit, train and deploy volunteer vaccine influencers.

Councilmember Ara Najarian announced that “[Oct. 6] is clear air day” and encouraged everyone to get out of “a carbon-based car” – Metro and the Metrorail system are offering free rides all day, he reported.

Councilmember Brotman proudly reported completing CERT training and receiving his certificate, announcing that the city is working to reinvigorate the neighborhood-based emergency response training program. The city’s emergency response coordinator Jon Payne urged those interested in joining the network of community responders can learn more at https://cert.glendaleca.gov/.

Next the council heard an update from representatives of the Glendale Community College district, detailing plans for a new science building at the northwest corner of the Verdugo campus and parking and landscaping improvements at the Garfield campus. GCC reps explained they have been working with Glendale’s Public Works Dept. to keep all lanes of traffic open and to finish before the holiday season.

Then the council approved an additional $75,000 to its contract with Stantec Consulting Services for the Scholl Canyon Biogas Renewable Generation Project CEQA process, primarily to respond to input and inquiries received after the public comment period had closed.

“This is going on and on and on – we went from $327,000 to $1,236,181. I don’t understand the project. In my opinion, this is not a good process,” Councilmember Agajanian said.

Glendale resident Jackie Gish called in to urge the council to “look for a better contractor.”

Councilmember Kassakhian was unable to convince a majority of his colleagues to adopt a program of token compensation for the members of the city’s boards and commissions.

“During my time serving as the city clerk and looking at the countless hours our resident volunteers put into these boards and commissions it always struck me … I didn’t think we were appropriately showing our gratitude for the time people put in, tirelessly away from other things that could occupy their time, volunteering to help the city,” he said, urging support for the proposal to pay $50 per meeting, up to $100 per month.

Mayor Paula Devine opposed the proposal.

“When you consider $50, consider the city is going be paying workman’s comp, liability, unemployment insurance, public retirement services and Medicare. After taxes they’re getting what … $30? I think for the time, staff training, keeping track of it, I don’t think it’s worth it. Our commissioners serve because they want to – they’re very proud to be commissioners, I think they’re honored to be commissioners.”