By Julie BUTCHER 

The Glendale City Council debated several complex issues at its Tuesday night meeting. 

On the topic of drive-through establishments, the Council heard comments from more than a dozen Glendale residents concerned about a proposed new In-N-Out Burger restaurant at Pacific Avenue and Burchett Street. 

The City Council previously adopted a moratorium on new drive-throughs in September 2022 and extended that moratorium twice. Then, according to the staff report on this issue, “On August 13, 2024, Community Development Dept. (CDD) staff introduced an ordinance to amend the zoning code requirements for drive-through establishments to include creating definitions for drive-throughs and implementing a conditional use permit (CUP) process. On August 20, 2024, adoption of the ordinance failed with 3 in favor and 2 opposed, where a 4/5th vote is required. On November 19, 2024, Councilmember Dan Brotman requested this topic be brought back as an informational item regarding development standards specific to new drive-through establishments.”

Mayor Elen Asatryan expressed interest in reconsidering the use of conditional use permits to “address the actual issue.” 

Councilmember Ara Najarian, who previously voted against this potential use of the CUP process, expressed his concern that “someone may want to nix all drive-throughs.”

Community Development Director Bradley Calvert explained that the city currently has no ability to control these types of businesses. He further noted that the use of design standards as an alternative limits the city’s ability to enforce specific conditions; he explained the benefits of utilizing a CUP approach, which allows a “hyperlocal contextual analysis” based on established criteria. In response to Councilmember Najarian’s concerns, Calvert said that it is “not my job to apply ideology.”

Councilmember Brotman said that “the status quo is broken” and that while he favors the CUP approach if the city were to adopt design standards, it should require at least 1000 feet for queuing, that drive-through restaurants should be at least 250 feet away from residential neighborhoods as well as schools, hospitals, police and fire stations, and that the city should not allow alleyways as entrances “because we see how alleyways get abused.” 

Councilmember Najarian reluctantly agreed to revisit the issue at next week’s Council meeting comparing the two approaches – the use of CUPs versus the development of design standards – but that he wants “my fears allayed that we’re not on the way to a moratorium.”

The Council also debated the declaration of city-owned property as “exempt surplus land” in an attempt to protect local control as the state “takes more and more action on local land use” determinations; Calvert explained the reasoning behind the proposed action. 

Calvert overviewed the state’s Surplus Land Act (SLA), which prioritizes affordable housing when local agencies sell or lease public land. The SLA requires land be declared either “surplus land” or “exempt surplus land.” Of the properties considered, 10 are less than a half an acre in size and therefore qualify as exempt; 16 city-owned lots are larger than half an acre and therefore deemed surplus under the act. 

“This does not obligate us to do anything,” Calvert reported. “We’re not advertising for anything, not releasing any RFPs, not trying to develop these properties today – none of those moves can move forward without the authority and direction of the Council.”

Alex Balekian addressed the council, opposing the determination.

“I’m here to speak out against the redesignation of even more parcels for affordable housing,” he said. “I know that Mr. Calvert said that’s not what we’re deciding tonight but this is the first step in a long process that doesn’t come to our attention as citizens until it’s too late because of all the dealings that go on.”

The Council approved the designation of the lots by unanimous vote.

In new management news, Fire Chief Greg Fish’s last day of service was last Monday, Mayor Asatryan announced. Jeff Brooks has been appointed interim chief. 

“I loved the way you were out and about in the community” during recent wind and fire events, the mayor told the new interim chief. She also introduced Scott Mellon as the new interim general manager of Glendale Water and Power.

The Council voted to confirm the appointment of Lessa Kanani′opua Pelayo-Lozada as the new director of Glendale’s Library, Arts & Culture Dept. Pelayo-Lozada worked as a children’s librarian in Glendale starting in 2012 and then returned to the city as the library department’s assistant director in 2022. She holds an associate’s degree in philosophy from El Camino College and a bachelor’s degree in sociology from University of California, Los Angeles, where she also received her master’s degree in library and information science.

Pelayo-Lozada thanked the Council for the “honor to stand before you” and committed to being “a leader of action.” She commended the staff of the city’s library system, many who attended the Council meeting.

“[They] put their heart and soul into breathing life into our programs, services and collections; they put their everything into their work not just because it is important but because libraries are essential to thriving communities, contributing to the economic and social fabric of Glendale,” the new library director shared. “My ‘Why Glendale?’ is because of its people. Our Glendale is a beautiful community of generations from all over the world who come together to live their best life and our libraries and being surrounded by arts and culture supports their vision.”

Last year, 602,885 people walked through the doors of Glendale libraries and checked out more than 800,000 items. At least 51,000 patrons participated in approximately 1,800 programs; public computers were accessed more than 37,000 times and more than 380,000 accessed public Wi-Fi at city libraries, Pelayo-Lozada detailed. 

Earlier during the Council meeting, Councilmember Brotman reported on a successful recent clothing swap event and an upcoming Repair Café set for Saturday, March 8 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Brand Library, 1601 W. Mountain St. For more information visit https://www.glendaleca.gov/repaircafe.

Mayor Asatryan reported that in anticipation of International Woman’s Day on March 8 and Equal Pay Day on March 25, the Council would issue a proclamation at its meeting on Tuesday, March 18. She also reported on an event hosted by the Downtown Glendale Association on Friday, March 7 from 2 – 5 p.m. at the Glenmark Hotel (visit https://downtownglendale.com/event/international-womens-day-celebration/) at which she will be the keynote speaker.

Finally, representatives from the participating organizations announced the third YOUniqueness event on Saturday, March 22 at the YMCA at 140 N. Louise St. from 3 – 7 p.m. It is a free community festival that features international food, songs, dance, arts, crafts and more, co-hosted by the city of Glendale, the YMCA of Glendale and the Foothills, the city’s various ethnic communities, GUSD and GCC. “The greatness of this city relies on its diversity, and we need to celebrate that any time we have a chance,” one of the event organizers told the council.