Glendale denies Pacific BMW’s plan for redesign

Pacific BMW’s plan to redo its front facade in all white has been shot down by the city, which was critical of the design it called monolithic.

The proposal came less than a decade after the car dealership at Brand Boulevard and Windsor Road underwent a $22-million expansion.

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Its current frontage is comprised of several different colors and materials that allowed the property to blend in along the Brand Boulevard of Cars, said Roger Kiesel, a case planner with the city.

“It’s a large building,” he said in a phone interview. “Color and material can help sort of visually break the mass of the building into smaller components.”

Making over the entire building in white would have increased its sense of scale, according to the decision letter issued by the city’s Community Development Department.

“We thought it detracted and took away from the quality of the design that we originally approved,” said Community Development Director Philip Lanzafame.

The letter called the would-be final product overbearing, resembling a monolith.

Pacific BMW opened its doors in 1982 and, after its major expansion in 2008, the business offered — in addition to showrooms — 53 service bays.

David Ho, president and chief executive officer of the business, did not return multiple phone calls for comment, neither did Rodney Khan, a consultant who was the applicant for the design change.

They did not file an appeal to the city’s denial by Friday’s deadline.

The dealership, along with many others along Brand, are among the highest contributors of sales tax revenue dollars to the city.

Despite their important role in the economy, they have to adhere to guidelines just like everyone else, Lanzafame said.

“Our standards are for everyone … whether you’re a large sales tax generator or a small business,” he said.

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Arin Mikailian, arin.mikailian@latimes.com

Twitter: @ArinMikailian