Hearing officer takes under submission renewal request for Oak Massage conditional use permit in Glendale

The Glendale Planning Hearing Officer closed a Feb. 12 hearing and took under submission a conditional use permit renewal request that would allow Oak Massage to continue operating at 1117 South Glendale Avenue, Suite A.

The case planner, Alan Lamberg, told the hearing officer that staff recommends approval of the renewal with standard conditions and a specific condition requiring the business to replace curtains that obscure the waiting and reception area with code-compliant window glazing. "As conditioned, the applicant will be required to replace the curtain with window glazing as provisioned by said code," Lamberg said.

The renewal seeks to continue an existing massage establishment use in a C-3 commercial services zone without changes to the building or intensification of use. Lamberg said the site contains a multi-tenant building of about 7,000 square feet; Oak Massage occupies Suite A, about 1,200 square feet on the ground floor. He said the property provides access to an 84-space surface parking lot and that staff concluded there would be no change to parking or traffic.

Lamberg summarized the four findings for a conditional use permit in the staff report: consistency with the general plan land-use designation for community services, no anticipated harm to public health or safety, compatibility with surrounding commercial uses and nearby residential neighborhoods, and adequate public and private facilities to serve the use. He said the Glendale Police Department reported no calls for service at the location within the last calendar year and that Neighborhood Services had an open code case for operating with an expired owner certificate and an expired CUP; Lamberg said the applicant applied for the permits and the code case was closed.

John Sigarian, representing the applicant VK Engineers, said the applicant agreed with the findings and would comply with conditions. "We agree with all the findings. We will comply with them and we thank you," Sigarian said. He also confirmed the owner intends to renew required certificates and business licensing if the CUP is approved, and he said he expected a decision in a few weeks to a month.

No members of the public called or submitted comments for the hearing. With the record complete, Hearing Officer Eileen Babakhani closed the hearing at 9:50 a.m. and took the case under submission for a decision. "The hearing is officially closed now at 09:50AM. And the case is taken under submission," Babakhani said.

Conditions identified in the staff report and referenced at the hearing include compliance with Glendale Municipal Code chapter 5.64 (Massage Therapy Act), Title V business-licensing requirements, that all massage practitioners be CAMTC-certified, and replacement of window coverings in the reception/waiting area with glazing that meets code standards. Lamberg said the CUP renewal qualifies as a Class 1 categorical exemption because there is no physical expansion or intensification of the existing use.

The hearing record shows the previous conditional use permit expired in September 2022; the applicant submitted the renewal application in July 2024 and the application was determined complete in September 2024. The hearing officer did not issue a decision at the meeting; the case was taken under submission for a later written decision.