ASK THE CANDIDATES

PERSPECTIVES ON HISTORIC PRESERVATION:
RESPONSES FROM CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATES

The Glendale Historical Society reached out to all candidates running for three open seats on the Glendale City Council. TGHS asked about the candidates' positions on important historic preservation issues affecting Glendale. As a 501(c)(3) non-profit, TGHS cannot endorse candidates, but it can provide information to help members make informed decisions. 

Please remember that June 7, 2022 is election day; voting takes place May 9 - June 7. Your polling place has almost certainly changed; you can find more information at https://www.glendalevotes.org/ 

The eight candidates who have qualified for the ballot are:
Vrej Agajanian, Elen Asatryan, Dan Brotman, Anita Quinonez Gabrielian, Jordan Henry, Karen Kwak, Ara Najarian, Isabel Valencia-Tevanyan. Seven candidates responded to our questions. Elen Asatryan’s responses were received on May 22nd. Click on the links below to view their answers.

QUESTIONS

Q1:
Historic districts allow residents to preserve the historic fabric of whole neighborhoods. They are governed by a set of design guidelines to allow changes that conform to the character of the historic building and the neighborhood. Historic districts are also exempt from SB 9, which went into effect in January 2022. It took over five years to create Glendale’s newest historic districts in 2022, much longer than in neighboring communities. Do you support the creation of historic districts? What do you believe they contribute to Glendale? How would you propose to make the application and/or approval process more efficient?
VIEW RESPONSES>>

Q2:
Historic Resource Surveys are important city planning tools. The recent South Glendale Historic Resources Survey identified numerous historic resources, which provides more accurate information for planning staff and owners and a more objective and comprehensive basis for environmental review of projects under CEQA. If elected, will you support preparation of a similarly comprehensive Historic Resources Survey as part of the East-West Glendale Community Plan? If not, why not?
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Q3:
After many years of objecting to the City’s environmental review of projects involving historic resources, TGHS filed suit in 2021 over the approval of a three-story residential project that towers over and wraps around a rare Aeroplane Craftsman home at 534 N. Kenwood. If TGHS prevails, the City would be required to prepare an Environmental Impact Report to disclose impacts of the proposed project and require mitigation or avoidance of those impacts where feasible. How do you imagine the City and residents and organizations including TGHS could better work together in the future to ensure that the city’s historic resources receive protections provided by state law?
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Q4:
There is significant pressure to add very tall new buildings in the downtown area, even when they are adjacent to—or even share a lot with—much smaller historic buildings. How do we balance the need for more housing with protecting historic resources? How would you ensure that the mass, scale, and size of Glendale’s historic buildings are respected by new construction?
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Q5:
There have been several appeals to City Council of Design Review Board decisions involving what appellants criticize as “mansionization” in Glendale’s older neighborhoods, whether through demolition of existing houses and rebuilding at a much larger size, or through massive, prominent additions. What do the Design Guidelines mean to you? How do you propose they be used to protect the scale of older neighborhoods and ensure compatibility?
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Q6:
At the January 2022 Historic Preservation Commission, Bradley Calvert, speaking as the Assistant Director of Community Development, attacked preservationists who “obstruct” certain projects and “weaponize” legal protections for historic resources, claiming they enable the continuation of Glendale’s history of racist policies. In a subsequent letter to TGHS, Director of Community Development Phil Lanzafame voiced full support for these remarks.

You can review Bradley’s comments at the 2:53:08 mark in the following recorded HPC meeting that occurred on January 20th, 2022. You can also hear Cathy Jurca’s reply at the 3:23:50 mark in the meeting. If you can't follow the link at the graphic above, please try here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMjsgebtENk

Please reflect on this accusation. Do you—and should Glendale—endorse Mr. Calvert’s position that any objection to the size, massing, and scale of a project that brings housing to Glendale carries forward Glendale’s legacy of racism? How do you propose Glendale might concretely address its history of racism against Black people through new development?
VIEW RESPONSES>>