Planning commission recommends approval for 50-home veterans community in Barrel District

The Glendale Planning Commission on April 24 voted unanimously to recommend a general plan amendment (GPA 24-05) and a zoning change (ZON 24-10) to allow construction of a 50-unit small-home community for veterans on roughly 10 acres at the northwest corner of 60 Third Avenue and Grand Avenue in the Barrel District.

The commission’s recommendation sends the general plan amendment and zoning change to City Council for final action; staff recommended approval of both items and the commission approved ZON 24-10 subject to three stipulations recorded in the staff packet.

The project proposal, presented by city planner Alberto Lerma, calls for 50 site-built cottages intended as transitional housing for veterans, two of which would be ADA accessible, six designed for families and 42 as individual units. The plan includes a village center with offices and meeting space to provide on-site support services; Lerma said the village center “will include offices for support staff, community meeting spaces, mailboxes, counseling training rooms, and other necessary amenities.” Staff’s packet is date-stamped and identifies the Veterans Community Project planned area development narrative (03/20/2025) as the controlling design document.

Applicant Steven Anderson, an attorney representing the Veterans Community Project, described the cottages as one-story, standalone units with full kitchens and bathrooms and private patios. Ben Hendershot, vice president of national expansion for VCP, said the interior of the community will be gated and contain 30 parking spaces behind the gate, with additional parking outside the gated area. “We only have 30 spaces behind the gate, because we don't need to provide any more asphalt than is necessary to service the community,” Hendershot said.

Staff and the applicant emphasized that on-site services are intended only for residents. Anderson said the project is intended as transitional housing, with the applicant “expect[ing] the maximum stay to be 2 years, and we expect most stays to be 18 months or less.” Lerma told commissioners the site was previously used for an animal hospital, motels and a mobile home park and has been vacant since February 2010.

Commissioners and members of the public raised noise concerns because the site is adjacent to a rail line and a major arterial. Commissioner Pierce asked about soundproofing; Hendershot responded that the community’s conditions will be “much better than what they're living with on the street” and that case management and design measures would be used to help residents cope with noise. A public commenter who identified himself as a Vietnam veteran urged the commission to consider a sound wall along Grand Avenue.

Staff said the site meets utility and access requirements and that a traffic impact analysis was not required by the transportation department for this proposal. Staff recommended approval of the general plan amendment as written and approval of the planned-area-development zoning with three stipulations: (1) development in substantial conformance with the Veterans Community Project PAD narrative (date-stamped 03/20/2025); (2) no parking signs along the project’s frontage on 60 Third Avenue; and (3) site driveways spaced 150 feet apart measured curb return to curb return.

Commissioner Cole moved to recommend approval of GPA 24-05; Vice Chair Edwin Nyberg seconded. The roll call vote on the general plan amendment was unanimous in favor. Cole also moved to recommend approval of ZON 24-10 subject to the three stipulations; Nyberg seconded and the commission again approved by unanimous roll call. Planning staff advised that both actions are recommendations to the City Council and are not final decisions.

If the City Council approves the zoning change and PAD as forwarded, the project will proceed to the city’s design review process, at which point staff will determine required on-site improvements and final engineering details.