Glendale — After a lengthy public hearing and hours of testimony from nearby residents, the City Council voted Dec. 16 to approve the Stage 2 final design review for a five‑story, 40‑unit multifamily project at 126–128 South Kenwood.

City planner Showek Premian told the council the project — a 46,000‑square‑foot building with two subterranean parking levels providing 69 spaces and three units set aside for very‑low‑income households — was revised following the council’s 2024 direction and design review board recommendations. Staff said they granted an administrative exception to reduce a publicly accessible open‑space width from 30 to 24 feet and that the applicant moved the main public open space to the south side and increased setbacks on the north to create buffer distance.

The decision drew sustained opposition from nearby condo residents, who said the revised plan still puts balconies and windows too close to existing units and will permanently shade south‑facing homes. "We really, really object to being wall to wall to another building," said Rev. Jared Yates, president of the Kenwood Terrace Homeowners Association, speaking for 118 South Kenwood residents. Several residents also urged a full environmental review, questioning whether a CEQA Class 32 infill exemption adequately examined cumulative alley congestion, privacy impacts, and shadowing.

The applicant and design team told council they had redesigned window placements, converted some balcony railings to solid walls for privacy, provided additional landscape buffers, and agreed to rooftop equipment screening. Architect Ron Mandalian said the design added a "secondary courtyard" and had been refined to avoid direct window‑to‑window views.

Council members acknowledged neighborhood concerns but said the project met the Downtown Specific Plan design standards and advances the city’s housing goals. Supporters noted the unit mix includes a large share of two‑bedroom units and on‑site parking above the minimum required. Council members who supported approval cited the applicant’s responsiveness to prior direction and the need for family‑sized units in the downtown area.

The council approved the Stage 2 final design review by roll call. Staff will finalize conditions of approval and permit requirements, and the applicant must comply with standard construction protections such as engineered shoring, a construction liaison for neighbor complaints, and fencing and safety measures during excavation.

Next steps: staff to work with the applicant on final building permits and on the construction‑period monitoring commitments described in the hearing record.