Design Review Board OKs new two‑story house at 1921 Chilton Drive; board accepts front garage with conditions

Glendale’s Design Review Board approved demolition of a 1937 house and construction of a new two‑story, 2,645‑square‑foot single‑family home at 1921 Chilton Drive on June 12, 2025, with conditions addressing materials, lighting and a revised front balcony railing.

Staff described the project (PDR004173‑2024) as a replacement of an existing 1,645‑square‑foot Spanish‑style house with a new contemporary‑influenced house on an 8,825‑square‑foot lot in the R‑1 zone (FAR District 1). The proposed new residence includes an attached approximately 500‑square‑foot two‑car garage at the front (the plan orients the garage toward the street), a total building area of about 2,645 square feet, and a maximum height of about 27 feet, 8 inches. Staff recommended approval subject to standard conditions and suggested the applicant provide a detailed cut sheet for the proposed precast window surround, verify material transitions, and limit the number and placement of front façade light fixtures to avoid over‑illumination.

Project architect Hamlet Zorabians told the board the design intentionally sets the two‑story volume back on the lot: the two‑story portion sits roughly 45 feet from the front property line (including driveway and courtyard), with the garage and driveway providing maneuvering space and avoiding reversing into the street. The architect provided examples of other neighborhood properties where a front garage has been used and argued the proposal is consistent with local patterns when the home sits well back from the street. Zorabians and the applicant agreed to staff’s standard plan submittal conditions.

A neighbor who lives immediately behind the site told the board she was concerned that a master bedroom balcony would directly face her backyard; the applicant said the elevated balcony is approximately 55–56 feet from the rear property line and is a modest 6‑foot‑deep balcony rather than a large roof terrace. After deliberation the board agreed to keep staff’s standard conditions, to request a material cut sheet for the precast surround, to limit street‑facing lighting, and to replace the proposed solid stucco front balcony parapet with a lower, more transparent metal railing consistent with the home’s gates and overall materials palette.

A motion to approve the project with the modified conditions passed 4–0 (moved by Board member Halajian; seconded by Board member Simonian). The board placed condition 1 (staff suggestion to relocate the garage to the rear) in the staff report as a recommendation rather than a mandatory condition, and staff will require material details and final plans for review prior to plan check.