Endorsements: Glendale City Council candidates Paula Devine, Vartan Gharpetian

A little less than a year ago, the News-Press endorsed Vartan Gharpetian in the special election to take over then-Councilman Frank Quintero’s seat. Gharpetian, of course, did not win, coming in second to Paula Devine, who is now seeking a full four-year term.

In that endorsement, we noted that both Devine and Gharpetian showed they had the clearest understanding of the issues facing Glendale, and both had formed concrete solutions to those problems. That remains true today, and as such we endorse both for the two open seats on the Glendale City Council.

We share Gharpetian’s concerns about the unnecessarily rapid development of the downtown area, including the potential for high vacancy rates and a transient population that will make it hard — if not impossible — for a true community to exist.

Additionally, as a parks commissioner, he has worked to increase open space throughout the city, especially in the green-space parched parts of south Glendale.

For her part, Devine pushed her colleagues to discuss Glendale’s rising — and ultimately unsustainable — pension costs. She looks to be taking the lead on mitigating the inevitable traffic congestion in the downtown area, and is working with her colleagues to improve traffic safety.

Others vying for the seat, such as Armen Erik Yesayan, have a number of excellent ideas for increasing pedestrian safety and making it easier for small businesses to open up shop. Despite this, we believe Devine and Gharpetian will have the most success in getting their ideas heard — and approved — by their colleagues on the dais, and we urge their election.