The Glendale Planning Commission on June 26 voted to approve conditional use permit CUP24-09 to convert a vacant residential building on the Glen Croft Center for Modern Aging campus into a Bezos Academy preschool, subject to six stipulations from staff.

The permit would allow up to 100 students in five classrooms (maximum 20 students per classroom) with 16 staff, a driveline pickup/drop-off model and on-site playgrounds adjacent to 60 Fifth Avenue. Planning staff recommended approval contingent on adherence to the site plan, the parking justification study, controls on the pickup queue and administrative review for any future increases in staff, students or site expansion.

The approval advances a staff finding that a private school is a permitted use in the R-4 zoning district with a CUP at this location and that the use furthers the general plan goal for intergenerational developments. Planning staff noted the site is within the Glen Croft campus, an established senior living community, and that the playgrounds and signage would be non-illuminated.

Planning staff presentation and applicant materials described operational controls intended to limit neighborhood impacts. Staff said the driveline model includes a designated queuing aisle on the campus with roughly 10 cars able to stage in the on-site queue at a time and 20 parking stalls allocated to the preschool. The applicant’s team said queuing would operate on 10-minute, staggered drop-off and pickup windows per classroom, staff would supervise the queue and escort children across a marked crossing, and 145 on-street parking spaces exist nearby as a contingency. Commissioner questions focused on whether parents would arrive outside their assigned 10-minute windows and on controls to keep the queue off 60 Fifth Avenue.

Ashley Marsh of Gamage & Burnham, representing the applicant, said, “Bezos Academy is a completely tuition free Montessori school program for children ages 3 to 5,” and described a 10-minute staggered drop-off for each classroom and staff stationed to greet children in the queue. Transportation staff confirmed they reviewed and approved the parking justification study on the condition that the applicant not increase the number of staff or students without additional review. Planning staff reported 38 attendees at the neighborhood meeting (no written concerns recorded there), six letters of support from Glen Croft residents and one pre-hearing phone call that was neutral in tone.

The commission voted in favor on a roll call vote. Commissioner Cole moved to approve CUP24-09 “per the findings and subject to the stipulations contained in the staff report.” The motion passed with recorded ayes from Commissioner Crow, Commissioner Cole, Vice Chair Nyberg, Commissioner Gears, Commissioner Arellano and Chairperson Crow. Planning staff advised the commission that the action is subject to a written appeal received within 15 days.

Stipulations listed in the staff report include development in conformance with the site plan and project narrative, parking conforming to the parking justification study, placement of no-parking signs at site visibility triangles adjacent the parent and staff exit on 60 Fifth Avenue, administrative review for any modifications to vehicular or pedestrian access, a requirement that the pickup/drop-off queue not encroach on or block driveways or spill onto 60 Fifth Avenue, and administrative review for any increases in staff, students, addition of before- or after-school programs, or expansion of premises.

The record for the CUP includes the staff site plan dated 04/21/2025, a project narrative dated 04/23/2025 and a parking justification study date-stamped 04/14/2025. The applicant team and staff indicated they will continue coordinating operational details with transportation and planning staff during design review and prior to final permits.