House, Though Empty, Is Home to Controversy

As they crossed the threshold of Glendale’s best-known residence Saturday, busload after busload of visitors stood and marveled. They had braved drizzle, steep hills and police-guided detours to get a glimpse of what has become part of Glendale lore.

The gargantuan home at 3150 El Tovar Drive, renowned for its multiple building code violations, was part of an annual residential tour that has become a big money-maker for Hoover High School. But the inclusion of the so-called El Tovar home, currently the subject of a city lawsuit, raised not only money Saturday but a few eyebrows on those who have called the house an embarrassment since its completion in 1992.

Still, school officials say, the promise of touring the Tovar was a fund-raising lure they could not pass up.

“The Tour of Homes has been a traditional event for 40 years, and it’s always offered exclusive kinds of homes,” said Hoover’s co-principal, Kevin Welsh. “We’re not making any kind of political or legal statement. We’re just saying this is a really unique house. It’s part of a way to attract people.”

Visitors jumped at the chance to see what all the fuss has been about. “Everybody in Glendale knows about this house,” said Pat Hubert, a resident who paid $12 to tour the Tovar and three other homes. “Now that we’re here,” said Hubert carefully, “it’s . . . most interesting.”

The 13,750-square-foot home dwarfs every building on El Tovar. The traditional red brick home sports flared staircases, sunken sitting rooms, elevators, bidets and maid’s chambers as well as an outdoor pool and tennis court.

It was designed by former owner Aram Kazazian and built between 1989 and 1993. Its violations include retaining walls that are too high under city standards, the lack of an excavation permit and the fact that the building is more than 5,000 square feet larger than the approved plan.

Kazazian, an architect and builder, later came under investigation by a private firm hired by the city to determine whether he inappropriately used his connections on the city’s building and zoning commissions to circumvent regulations. Eventually, he was forced into foreclosure.

Last year, Rahim and Ramin Karjoo--a prominent cancer researcher and his son--bought the home for just under $1 million with the intention of eventually moving in. Their plans are on hold until they meet the city’s requirements.

The mansion’s inclusion in the tour was protested by its immediate neighbors and by members of the Glendale and Montecito homeowners councils. They claimed that the tour was using an illegal house for profit and that a steady stream of curiosity seekers would further inconvenience neighbors who have suffered through the building of the mansion.

Gene Mestel, president of Glendale’s Homeowners Coordinating Council, called the house “a source of derision to the city of Glendale.”

But neither the opposition, nor the rain, could keep visitors away.

“The home is magnificent to see,” said Marilyn Commerton. “I’m surprised at how cozy it is. The lighting in the dining area is just beautiful,” she said, adding that if she had the money, she would move right in.

Commerton’s tour companion, Jean Brown, was less impressed.

“It’s not my style. I would prefer an English Tudor,” said Brown. She added that safety was also a concern.

“I would be afraid that in an earthquake it would all come tumbling. Those puddles near the pool worry me, and I already felt some loose bricks outside.”

Questions about the building’s structural integrity led some residents to try to stop the tour. Mestel cautioned that allowing people to roam the house while it still has outstanding violations was unwise.

“It’s never been approved to be lived in,” he said. “There is no occupancy permit. Since there is no occupancy permit, I have a problem with the city attorney allowing a group of people to go into it.”

Glendale City Manager Robert McFall said that the city had looked into that issue.

“We have evaluated any city liability or unsafe conditions,” McFall said. “We determined that they could proceed. The owner has the right to do this so this is really between the PTSA [Parent Teacher Student Assn.] and the owner.”

The city is more concerned with having the house brought up to code as soon as possible. According to Christina Sansone, Glendale’s assistant city attorney, “the previous and current owners have done nothing to comply.”

In July, the city filed suit against the Karjoos in Glendale Superior Court, calling for the family to remedy the violations in the house described as “a public nuisance.”

Said Sansone: “We want this done as quickly as possible. This has been dragging on too long.”

The younger Karjoo said that he and his family were taking steps to comply, with the hopes of inhabiting their mansion within a year.

“We’ve hired engineers who are making a presentation to the city zoning administrator,” said Ramin Karjoo, a businessman.

“Of course we want to be able to get this place ready so we can move in,” he said, adding that, for now, he is glad that the home could provide a service.

Tour organizer Patricia Zunga agreed. “This is for the school,” Zunga said. “At least some good is coming out of the house.”