Glorietta neighbors split as DRB approves redesigned two‑story house at 1712 Glorietta with conditions to reduce massing, driveway width and alter materials

The Glendale Design Review Board on Feb. 27 approved a revised design for a new two‑story, roughly 3,100‑square‑foot single‑family house at 1712 Glorietta Ave following a required return for redesign. The decision came after extended public comment from neighbors who said the proposed home’s size, driveway and removal of a street tree would alter the block’s character.

Staff told the board the project replaces a one‑story house and detached garage with a new two‑story residence featuring roughly 1,736 square feet on the lower level and 1,364 square feet on the upper level, plus a 448‑square‑foot attached garage. The applicant said they reduced the overall building height by about one foot and revised the staircase and second‑floor plan to reduce massing; the garage was pushed back in the revised plan to a 27.9‑foot setback from the street (compared with an existing ~16‑foot setback).

Public comment at the hearing included sustained opposition from a number of neighbors who said the new house would be substantially larger than surrounding homes, would reduce on‑street parking and would require removal and replacement of an established parkway tree. Neighbors also raised privacy, view and driveway safety concerns. Several other callers and neighbors supported the project, saying the renovation would improve property values and the neighborhood’s appearance.

The applicant’s consultant, Danny Manasarian, said the team made substantial revisions after the DRB’s prior review, including moving the garage back, tightening second‑floor setbacks and lowering some interior ceiling heights. Urban Forestry staff told the board the existing street tree (a magnolia in the parkway) would be removed if the apron is widened but would be replaced under Public Works’ replacement rules; public‑works staff would determine the new parkway layout and exact tree specifications.

Board members debated how to balance the owner’s right to build within zoning and FAR allowances against the DRB’s responsibility to achieve designs that respect neighborhood context. After discussion the board approved the project with specific conditions to reduce perceived bulk and neighborhood impacts: require an additional step‑back or plan revisions to reduce the second‑floor east elevation wall plane (a minimum of 1 foot, ideally up to 2 feet if feasible), reduce the ground‑floor ceiling from the plan’s stated height by one foot (to about 10 feet) to lower apparent massing, restudy and reduce the driveway width at the sidewalk by at least three feet (with a permissible widening at the garage approach), restudy the second‑floor front façade to reduce large vertical wall planes in favor of more roof/dormer expression or other measures that visually break the second story, specify more earth‑tone contrasting materials rather than white‑on‑white finishes, and require privacy glazing for the east‑facing bathroom window.

The board kept a staff condition requiring the applicant to comply with urban‑forestry and public‑works requirements for any parkway tree removal and replanting and asked the applicant to work with staff on final details during plan check. The motion to approve with the listed conditions passed 3‑0 (moved by Board Member Halajian; seconded by Board Member Welch; Chair Koskonian, Halajian and Welch voted yes).

The project was originally returned for redesign after the October hearing; the board’s vote allows the applicant to proceed to plan check with the DRB conditions in force. Urban Forestry and Public Works will finalize parkway tree replacement requirements and sidewalk/apron details as part of permit review.