Raggio to Ask Council to Review Growth Control

A Glendale redevelopment official said he will ask the City Council to reconsider a proposal to control growth by strictly limiting the height of buildings on the borders of the downtown redevelopment area.

The council Tuesday rejected the plan by a 3-2 vote, saying it would unfairly discriminate against landowners on the periphery of the downtown area.

The proposal was designed to curtail increases in traffic, according to redevelopment officials who introduced the plan in September.

Councilman Carl W. Raggio, redevelopment agency chairman, said he will ask the council to review its action after a study session on traffic problems Dec. 15.

Raggio and Councilman Jerold F. Milner opposed the council action, asking for a delay. “I really believe we are going to make a mistake by acting on this without the input of the traffic study,” Raggio said.

The plan would prohibit construction of commercial buildings higher than six stories and limit residential developments to three stories or less on the borders of the redevelopment area, generally bounded by Central Avenue, Maryland Avenue, Glenoaks Boulevard and Broadway.

The height limits are the same as those set by the city’s zoning laws, but the proposal, called a “specific plan,” would prohibit any exceptions to the rules. Under current laws, developers can ask for a variance.

Mayor Ginger Bremberg and Councilmen John F. Day and Larry Zarian voted against the proposal after opponents argued that the restrictions would unfairly discriminate against a few landowners.

“It only picks on certain parcels in Glendale,” Zarian said. “That’s discriminating. That’s not fair.”