Design Review Board approves second-floor addition over garage at 1530 W. Kenneth Rd.

The Glendale Design Review Board on June 12 conditionally approved a second-floor addition above an existing garage and related site changes at 1530 West Kenneth Road (PDR004383-2025).

City planning staff said the project would add a roughly 578-square-foot second-story above the existing garage, enlarge the garage from 357 square feet to a 500-square-foot two-car garage (an increase of 143 square feet), and otherwise retain the house footprint and driveway orientation on the 8,750-square-foot corner lot in the R-1 zone near Kenneth Village. Staff noted the proposed overall height would be 23 feet, 4 inches (under the 28-foot maximum). Material and finish proposals include smooth light stucco, asphalt shingles and a “white truffle” stucco color intended to match the existing house.

Staff recommended six conditions of approval aimed at clarifying materials and site details. Those conditions included: provide a planting plan for the southeast corner landscape area using drought-tolerant species; identify and show a trash enclosure and locate mechanical equipment on the site plan; provide a cut-sheet and material for the new balcony railing; revise the window schedule and use a window profile consistent with the existing nail‑in‑frame wood windows; and remove shutters proposed on the new addition to avoid a visually congested front façade. Staff also advised that one written public comment in support of the addition had been received and placed on file.

The home’s owners, Laurel Gates and her husband, described the work as a modest, family-driven expansion to accommodate three teenagers and avoid moving from the Kenneth Village neighborhood. The applicant and consulting architect, Richard Westwood, answered questions from the board about windows, shutters and the size and operation of an elevated stair window. Architect Bartan Kasemian told the board the owners had worked with staff and were generally comfortable with the recommended conditions; Kasemian asked that shutter changes be optional on the final plan so the applicants could retain them if they choose.

Board members discussed façade cluttering from the proposed shutters and the high stair window’s functionality for light and operation. Several members said they were not strictly opposed to vinyl windows on an addition if the visual profile matched existing windows, and they emphasized drought-tolerant landscaping. After deliberation the board adopted staff’s conditions with two edits: remove an absolute prohibition on vinyl by requiring submitted windows to match the profile and appearance of existing windows and explicitly require the applicant to revise the window schedule to read “wood” for existing windows; and revise the shutters condition to let the applicant either remove the shutters or restudy the Second-Floor windows facing Roberta Avenue so the applicant can proceed more quickly if the owners choose to delete shutters.

A motion to approve the project with the revised conditions passed 4–0. The motion was made by Board member Halajian and seconded by Board member Simonian; Board member Welch and Chair Koskonian voted yes.

The board record notes staff will review and approve the revised plans and submittals required by the conditions prior to plan check. No appeal was made at the meeting; the staff packet states any appeal must be filed within 15 calendar days of the DRB decision date.