CHAMLIAN GYMNASIUM CONSTRUCTION GOES BEFORE CITY COUNCIL TONIGHT
By Cassandra Morris
Montrose Patch
May 31 2011
CA
Chamlian Armenian School’s plans to build a gymnasium were denied in
January. City Council will hear their appeal tonight.
The Glendale City Council will hear an appeal for the construction
of a gymnasium at Chamlian Armenian School tonight. The City Planning
Commission denied its construction application in January 2011.
Chamlian Armenian School is located on a residential block at 4444
Lowell Ave. that was originally the site of a public elementary
school. The Commission found that the gym would be detrimental to
the surrounding neighborhood, saying it would increase traffic,
that it would exacerbate the school’s tight parking situation, that
the school is already over the max floor area allowed, that the gym
would be over the building height limit for its neighborhood, and that
the school has already been granted conditional use permits over the
years without consideration of the surrounding residents and homes.
See a Timeline of the School’s Zoning History
Residents who live in Chamlian’s neighborhood are also concerned that
the gym would decrease property value and cause increased traffic
and noise.
Those in support of the gymnasium argue that it would promote a healthy
lifestyle for students, be helpful during hot, cold or rainy weather,
and would be the site of activities that are currently taking place
outside at the school, such as athletic events, back-to-school nights
and graduation ceremonies.
Rodney Khan of Khan Consulting, who filed the appeal, says that the
gymnasium is a logical expansion for the school and will not overwhelm
the neighborhood. Khan says the gymnasium would be set back from
adjacent property lines, would have limited visibility due to the
topography of the neighborhood, and would not cause increased noise
or raise privacy concerns to neighbors.
Chamlian School resides on 4.59 acres with buildings that currently
occupy 45,141 square feet of floor area. The max floor area allowed
in Chamlian’s zone is 22,994 square feet. The gymnasium would bring
the school to 54,486 square feet of floor area.
The max height for buildings in Chamlian’s zone is 25 feet, and
the proposed gymnasium would be 35 feet. The school has also been
allowed to operate without the required minimum number of parking
spaces since the late 1980s.
See the city documents pertaining to the Chamlian School in the
attachments above.
The appeal will go before the Glendale City Council during their 6
p.m. meeting tonight.