Glendale News Press - February 11, 2007
by Robert S. Hong

CITY HALL - The Glendale Redevelopment Agency will vote Tuesday on whether to allow Glendale Career College to move into a building at the corner of Brand Boulevard and California Avenue.

The agency will vote on whether to approve the final environmental study on the school's relocation, which after allocating appropriate parking for the students, faculty and staff, shows there will be no major impact on the area as a result of the move, a city staff report said. The college currently sits at 1015 Grandview Ave. They will also consider granting a parking exception to allow the college to purchase passes for 119 parking spaces at the Orange Street Public Parking Garage at current monthly rental rates. The school is requesting an additional 19 spaces, in addition to the 119, the report said.

If the agency approves the items, the college will be able to move into the space, Development Services Director Philip Lanzafame said. The building also houses 24 Hour Fitness.

Representatives from property owner Dorn Platz, of Pasadena, came before the agency with the proposal in December and are now returning with a scaled-down version of the previous proposal.

The property owner reduced the amount of classroom space the college would take up in the building from 15,294 square feet to 8,310 square feet. There would also be and additional 10,050 square feet of office space, the report said.

"By reducing the size of their use for classroom space, their parking demand was much less," Lanzafame said.

The enrollment cap at the college has come down from a previously proposed 622 students to 425 students.

Fewer students would also mean less parking needed to accommodate patrons and employees of the college, Lanzafame said.

A majority of the City Council requested the reductions because members did not feel having the larger-size college at the proposed site was a good fit for the area, he said.

"The reduction makes it more compatible now," Lanzafame said. "You don't have quite as much educational use taking that Brand frontage," he said. "It's just a better balance of uses for what were trying to accomplish in mid-Brand."

The college must also meet conditions in order to get their required parking at the garage. The parking exception would be granted for a maximum of three years, and the college has volunteered to post a $1-million cash bond to guarantee they will vacate the building after three years, the report said. Another condition requires a guarantee that Dorn Platz will terminate the lease with the college on or before the end of the three-year term, according to the staff report.

Conditions would also include a nonbinding letter of intent between Dorn Platz and the college stating that after the college's term at the building is up, Dorn Platz will lease space for the college at a building they are proposing to construct at the corner of San Fernando Road and Doran Street.

This "San Fernando Doran project" has not yet been approved.

City Councilman Rafi Manoukian said he would likely support moving forward with the action provided the applicant followed through successfully with the changes requested by the agency at the last meeting.

"If they're proposing what we requested last time, then there should be no problems," he said.

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ROBERT S. HONG covers City Hall. He may be reached at (818) 637-3235 or by e-mail at robert.honglatimes.com

© 2007 Glendale News Press