Glendale hearing officer takes Dream Preschool permit and three variances under submission amid parking concerns

The Planning Hearing Officer took under submission on May 20 a request to allow Dream Preschool and Academy to operate a children’s day care within existing religious classrooms at 310 North Kenilworth Avenue, after staff recommended approval with conditions but expressed concerns from neighbors about parking and pickup activity.

Hearing officer Nicola Hladi said the application includes a conditional use permit to convert 10,582 square feet of religious classroom space into a daycare and three variances: a reduced street-side setback to 1.5 feet for retaining walls, fences and support posts; increased lot coverage to 62% (the code allows 50%); and three accessory wall signs in a residential zone where such signage is not normally permitted. The site is two parcels totaling about 27,410 square feet in Glendale’s Vineyard neighborhood. Staff recommended approval with draft conditions after review by traffic, building, urban forestry, neighborhood services and Glendale Water & Power.

Planner Columba Diaz told the hearing the proposal would serve up to 100 children ages 2–6 with five staff, operate within existing floor area (no expansion) and rely on conditions to mitigate noise, circulation and safety impacts. Diaz said the application complied with the four findings required for a CUP and that the variances could be justified by the property’s size, existing building configuration and the need to provide secure, shaded outdoor play areas.

Applicant consultant Danny Manasarian said the setback and coverage variances are necessary to create safe, level outdoor play space and that the shade structures are required to meet California Department of Social Services (CDSS) standards. “A minimum of 75 square feet of outdoor activity space is required for each child,” Manasarian said, explaining the purpose of the retaining walls, fencing and shade structures.

Surin Patel, answering operational questions for the applicant team, said the site’s CDSS licensing is already on file and “is approved for a 109 children,” and described a staggered schedule and two separate playgrounds the applicants say limit simultaneous outdoor occupancy. Patel also said the existing fence-mounted signs have been permanently covered while the team seeks the variances for modest identifying signage. The applicants said they would use the nine on-site weekday parking spaces for staff and a curbside drop-off system staffed by employees, and requested flexibility to extend operating pick-up time to about 6 p.m. to accommodate working parents.

Public Works Traffic Engineering told the hearing it concurs with a signed curbside drop-off/pickup zone on the east side of Kenilworth north of California similar to other Glendale schools to improve safety and circulation during peak hours.

Diaz and the applicants acknowledged three written public comments (one phone call and two emails) raising concerns about limited on-site parking, pickup/drop-off impacts on neighborhood street parking and whether a 62% lot coverage is overdevelopment. Columba Diaz said copies of the comments were provided in the record. No callers participated during the hearing.

Hladi closed the hearing, said she would take the application under submission and requested additional materials be added to the public record to support variance findings: a descriptive accounting of current pickup and loading operations and documentation of CDSS play-space calculations and licensing. The hearing officer said a written decision letter will be issued to the applicant and to commenters and posted on the planning division website; no final decision was made at the hearing.

Next steps: the case will be decided in a written letter (appealable to the planning commission under Title 30, Chapter 30.62 of the Glendale Municipal Code within 15 days of the decision).