Letters to the Editor: Writer objects to Glendale Unified’s proposed real estate swap

Despite neighbors’ objections, Glendale Unified School District continues to pursue its plans of a “building swap” with Carmel Partners, entailing a mega development at 206 N. Kenwood St. and 223-241, 247 N. Jackson St., Glendale.

GUSD disingenuously solicits support for the swap, claiming “Strong Schools = Strong Community”; whereas a swap of an administrative building will not make schools stronger and will cripple the community.

GUSD’s claimed “benefits” for the swap are unjustified: 1) “over $15 million” retrofitting costs are just staff estimates; 2) all district departments and parent engagement centers can be accommodated/built on the district’s current 3.2 acre site; 3) GUSD’s parking problem, if any, can be fixed by gating the lot or building a multilevel parking in place; 4) “savings of over $15 million” and “straight swap” are misstatements: GUSD will pay the developer over $5 million in cash.

Most importantly, GUSD conceals the crux of the problem with the “swap” for which City Council’s approval of final plans is required: after district administrators selfishly move into a newer building, the remaining community will suffer permanent damage to its quality of life because of the succeeding developer’s aggressive overdevelopment plans.

The developer’s project — with massive demolitions and monstrosity construction — is unacceptable in view of: 1) environmental hazards for the adjacent high school, residents, churches and preschools; 2) lack of infrastructure (narrow streets/parking shortage); 3) leaving insufficient parking for the high school, triggering code violations; 5) distortion of community character, etc.

Please, help save our community from GUSD’s unnecessary swap and Carmel Partner’s project by emailing and objecting to those plans at: lstotler@glendaleca.gov; vgharpetian@glendaleca.gov; pdevine@glendaleca.gov; anajarian@glendaleca.gov; zsinanyan@glendaleca.gov; vagajanian@glendaleca.gov; ybeers@glendaleca.gov; rmanoukian@glendaleca.gov; akassakhian@glendaleca.gov.

Naira Soghbatyan

Glendale