By Brian CHERNICK and Mary O’KEEFE

A proposal on a Precise Plan Design for the 2600 block of Honolulu Avenue was approved by the Glendale City Council on Tuesday night in a special meeting held prior to Tuesday’s general council meeting.

The 43,610 square feet plan has four lots and will be constructed as a two-story, 28-unit multi-unit development that will include a subterranean parking garage. Twenty of the units will be two-bedroom condos, with the smallest at 1,300 square feet then increasing to 1,700 square feet. The units will not be apartments but condos for homeownership.

The project will demolish The Mix bar, which has been vacant for about six years after a series of issues arose, including a license suspension by the State Dept. of Alcohol Beverage Control in 2010.

During the special meeting there was praise from community members and the Glendale City Council for developer Art Simonian and Metro Investments. Bill Weisman, representing the Crescenta Valley Community Association, said it was a rarity to come to the council meeting without complaining about a developer.

The agreement was a testament to how Simonian responded to the community from the beginning of the project. Mike Morgan, resident of Montrose, said Simonian had held meetings with residents from the early stages to share his vision and listen to the residents’ concerns and ideas, some of which he incorporated into the design.

Grant Michals, president of the Montrose/Verdugo City/Sparr Heights Residents and Homeowners Association, said that Simonian had come to them two years ago for feedback on the design. At that time there were plans for its being a three-story building; however, after speaking with the residents and conducting a total of five community meetings, the design was changed to accommodate some of their concerns.

With the approval of the council, the project will now move forward.

In the general meeting on Tuesday night, council moved to award ARC Construction Inc. (ARC) with a contract to build a small public bathroom at the Wilson Avenue Mini Park. The motion passed unanimously after an initial budget and bidding process approval on April 26.

City council members received two bids for the construction including an alternative bid by ACE Construction & Maintenance, Inc. with the estimated cost of $239,000.

The bid presented by ARC included a $211,950 price proposal, which, according to the director of Public Works Roubik Golanian, was negotiated down to $195,000, just under an estimate of $200,000 made by engineers. The agreement also includes a 15% contract contingency, not to exceed $29,250, for any additional incidental work and unforeseen conditions during construction.

During a community outreach phase for public comment by the Community Service and Parks Dept. over 1,126 letters were mailed out to residents in the surrounding area. According to Golanian they did not receive any direct responses to the letters. However, a park user approached a staff member with concerns regarding safety, maintenance and hours.

“They were told it would coincide with the park’s opening at 7 a.m. and closing at 10 p.m.,” Golanian said. “Our own staff will perform the cleaning.”

Bathroom maintenance will be performed on a daily basis, according to the council meeting agenda.

Located at 1101 E. Wilson Ave. on the corner of Adams Avenue, the park receives heavy and constant use by the public. Currently the park includes amenities such as a children’s play area and picnic facilities.

The design work for the project will begin this month and construction is to commence in October with estimated completion by December.

Wilson Park’s construction work is part of Glendale’s ongoing program to improve local parks.

The city council meeting also included a presentation by Rotary Club of Glendale president Frank Saito distributing the $20,000 earned during the Jewel City Fun and Fitness Day charity event that included an urban hike, 35-mile bike ride and scavenger hunt. The event proceeds are to be shared among four organizations, among them the Glendale Educational Foundation, which states that it will use the money to purchase robotic kits for each school in Glendale.

Also awarded were the Verdugo Hills Boy Scouts, which will use the funds to expand its recruiting program, and the Glendale Police Explorers that will put the newly acquired funds into gear, equipment and training for competitions.

The fourth organization, which was not present during the announcement, was Ride 2 Recovery.

  Brian CHERNICK, Mary Okeefe