Letters to the Editor: City Council should send 2 projects back for redesigns; locals invited to Kenneth Village block party

During its Aug. 28 meeting the Glendale City Council is expected to have before it two Design Review Board decisions that defy comprehension. The meeting starts at 6 p.m.

Earlier in the year, the Design Review Board gave its full stamp of approval for proposed projects at 1650 Cumberland Terrace and 1732 Ard Eevin. Both of these projects go against the main purposes of the city of Glendale’s Comprehensive Design Guidelines, one of them to “ensure single-family design is compatible with the character inherent within the surrounding neighborhood.”

Both of these proposed projects are in stark contrast to this purpose, as neither project has a relationship to the existing streetscape of homes and in fact would greatly distract from the current character of the immediate neighborhoods in which they would be built.

In the case of the proposed project at 1650 Cumberland Terrace, the applicant is proposing a new two-story home of ultramodern design on a street where there are 12 one-story homes and four split-level homes due to the existing slope of the hill. The proposed home would be twice the size of the neighborhood average, which cannot be consider “compatible.” You could take the three smallest homes on the street and they would fit into the proposed new structure. The project proposed on Ard Eevin is just as offensive in its size and scale compared to its existing surroundings.

Tuesday will be a watershed moment for the City Council to see if they will have these two projects sent back for redesign so they fully comply with the city’s guidelines.

Lee Straus

Glendale

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There is going to be an “End of Summer Block Party” at Kenneth Village this Sunday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. It is geared for children and adults.

The newly formed Kenneth Village Merchants Assn. is putting it on for the entire community. This is an opportunity for all residents to see how vibrant the 1400 block of Kenneth Road has become in the last year.

I understand that along with plenty of food selections, a live band and dancing, there will be a bounce house, face painting, games and puppy petting for the kids. Adults can relax in a beer garden. Raffles and door prizes are also planned.

Kenneth Village is located between Grandview and Sonora avenues.

Carol Brusha

Glendale