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Glendale commission approves five‑year mural at 401 North Central Avenue for new grocery
Summary
The Glendale Arts and Culture Commission approved a five‑year design review to install a continuous exterior mural on the proposed grocery at 401 N. Central Ave., subject to conditions including a maintenance covenant and prohibition on commercial advertising. The applicant said the grocery will be Armenian‑based and the artist offered a public plaque to explain the design.
The Glendale Arts and Culture Commission voted June 18 to approve a five‑year design review for a continuous exterior mural wrapping the proposed grocery at 401 North Central Avenue, subject to staff‑recommended conditions including a maintenance plan, limits on commercial content, and compliance with all city permits.
The staff report described the mural as a nondisplay commercial work to be painted with professional exterior paint, UV‑resistant finishes and an anti‑graffiti coating. Staff also noted the project is exempt from CEQA as a Class 1 existing facilities exemption (CEQA Guidelines §15301), because the mural will be applied to the exterior of an existing building without expanding the use.
Shawn Nazarian, a founder and owner of the proposed grocery tenant Evergreen Farms, told the commission the lease is a 5+5 arrangement and that the team expects to add another five years given project delays. An artist who called in to the hearing and identified themself as Hybert explained the mural’s geometric, textile‑inspired design: "I go based off of each point meaning like one is for my mom, one is for my dad, and one is for me," the artist said, calling the pattern a tribute to family and immigrant experience.
Commissioners asked for clarity on maintenance and custodial responsibility; staff pointed to a signed covenant (Exhibit D) in the record that assigns maintenance responsibility to the building owner and noted the covenant "runs with the land." The commission’s approval is limited to the location and size shown in the application and requires submission of a maintenance plan and any additional authorizations required by other city departments.
The motion passed on a roll‑call vote; the approval language and findings reference compliance with Glendale Municipal Code standards that prohibit obscenity and commercial advertising in murals and require durability and ongoing maintenance. The commission also recommended that the applicant place a short explanatory plaque near the mural so passersby can understand the design’s inspiration.
Next steps: the applicant must secure any additional permits required by the Community Development Department and comply with the maintenance covenant for the five‑year permit term. If ownership changes, staff said the covenant is recorded to remain effective with the property.
