By Julie BUTCHER

The Glendale City Council opened its Tuesday night meeting proclaiming Nov. 25 through Dec. 10 as “16 Days of Activism vs. Gender Violence” then questioned LA County’s recent ban on County restaurants.

“I was surprised when the County banned outdoor dining and Pasadena’s restaurants stayed open,” Councilmember Ara Najarian said, urging the Council to consider establishing its own health department.

“I’m not sure we’d snap our fingers and set up our own department, but perhaps we could outsource it on a consultant basis, figure out the qualifications and check the boxes to have our own health department. I think we should look into it and take our direction from within rather than having it imposed by the County,” he said, adding, “Local control!”

Mayor Vrej Agajanian jumped in to support the idea.

“I’m getting so many emails and texts – ‘How come Pasadena can have outdoor dining?’” he said. “Pasadena is probably getting money from somewhere – it’s not like they’re spending their own money.”

Councilmember Ardashes “Ardy” Kassakhian suggested the city consider contracting with the City of Pasadena for this service, much the way it contracts for some animal control services.

“It’s important to note the incredible rise of numbers [of COVID-19 cases] across the population right now,” Councilmember Paula Devine cautioned.
Interim city manager Roubik Golanian reported that Pasadena spends approximately $15 million annually, mostly from its general fund, for more than 100 employees in a health department that was included in the incorporation of the city in the late 1800s.

Next the Council debated and delayed adoption of a plan to standardize the city’s heavy equipment, backhoe loaders and tractor loaders, with John Deere, pending assurances that as electric-powered equipment becomes available the contracts will allow flexibility.

Glendale has approximately 21 pieces of this kind of equipment; they are utilized across the city’s public works, community services, and utility departments. Given the usage over various activities, staff believes John Deere is the “best in class.” For instance, staff noted, GWP uses them as loaders, cranes, excavators and breakers alternatively. Nearby cities also report plans to similarly standardize their equipment fleets.

Following this, a representative of Metro updated the Council on the progress of the North Hollywood – Pasadena Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and solicited feedback on potential routes.

The 18-mile transit loop connecting the San Fernando and San Gabriel Valleys, as well as connecting to the Metro B line (Red), G line (Orange), and L line (Gold), to Metrolink and other municipal bus lines is expected to board 30,000 riders in 2024 and 35,000 in 2025, operating 21-23 hours a day, prioritizing opening with electric buses. The project will cost at least $267 million, funded by Measure M and SB 1 funds. It is aimed at “providing ‘premium transit’ options to retain existing riders and attract new ones, to provide quick and convenient access to major local and regional activity and centers of employment, to enhance connectivity to the broader regional transit network, to provide improved passenger comforts and convenience, and to improve air quality and create healthier communities.”

Since being introduced in April 2019, Metro staff shared, the agency evaluated three BRT route alternatives: on street, freeway-running, and a hybrid street/freeway model. Its “extended scoping” has resulted in more than 2,500 comments from the community and additional workshops with the community, including several virtual town hall forums. Metro shared a video summarizing what is envisioned for the project (https://youtu.be/MO3gQCjfVDc). The website is available for continued comment and feedback at https://www.metro.net/projects/noho-pasadena-corridor/.
When completed, the modern buses will halve the time from downtown Burbank to downtown Glendale, for instance, and reduce the travel time from North Hollywood to the end of the line at Pasadena City College to an hour rather than the current two hours. It would run from Chandler down Vineland, hop on the 134 to the Burbank Media Center District and then downtown Burbank; it would run into Glendale on Glenoaks Boulevard, south on Central Avenue (there are alternatives for each leg of the proposed route), east on Broadway and into Eagle Rock, then back on the 134 freeway.

Concluding the PowerPoint presentation, the benefits to Glendale were summed up; project “provides premium, high-capacity transit through the heart of Glendale, improves regional connectivity and access to key destinations along the corridor, preserves most on-street parking (there may be some parking spots lost to stations), could improve the traffic flow on Brand Boulevard by relocating bus service onto Central Avenue, and preserves the bike lanes on Glenoaks Boulevard and Central Avenue.”

The Metro board is expected to firm up the routes in February and adopt a final plan during the summer of 2021.

“We can’t rely on our cars for the rest of our lives,” Councilmember Ara Najarian explained. “The BRT can help take cars off the road. This is the closest we’re going to get to light rail.”

Additional comments were made that the project could be a tool of economic development. The city has been working with Metro for 10 years on the project.

The Council expressed support for utilizing streets through Glendale rather than the freeway alternatives and wanted to ensure that existing bike lanes would be preserved.

Finally, the Council again discussed potential local rules for accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and junior ADUs, which have been controversially authorized by state legislation.

“Make this clear for me,” Najarian said. “I’m not comfortable with the concept that this is now solely ministerial.” He laid out a scenario for the planning staff representative that was attending the virtual meeting. “Say I live on a hillside and I’ve got a big lot. Behind my house I’ve got a 100-foot/200-foot slope. Am I entitled by right to build an ADU somewhere down on that slope, detached?”
“Yes,” the representative replied. “As long as it’s a mandatory ADU and not more than 800 square feet, taller than 16 feet in height, and not closer than four feet to an interior property line.”

“So, our hillside guidelines are out the window?” Najarian continued. “There’s no requirement for vehicular access, right? I can build stone steps? With a little rope? A balustrade? And the neighbors have no say?”

“Surely there must be some health and safety filter we can put on it?” Councilmember Dan Brotman asked.

“The state has done this again. I hope people understand the decisions made in Sacramento attempt to destroy single-family neighborhoods,” Councilmember Kassakhian added. “I realize there’s a homeless crisis, but I don’t think this is the solution.”