Re: Appeal of Design Review Board decision PDR 1723012-B; 1633 S. Victory Blvd. 3-story, 64-room hotel with ingress and egress access to 2 level of underground parking from public alleyway — allowing for a single business monopolization of alleyway and burden of cumulative traffic congestion.
As the date approaches for our appeal case to be heard by City Council, we will be adding photos to our feature called “alley traffic of the day.” The point of this is so that our concerns about cumulative alley congestion, resident access, and potential of injury are not heard as typical generic cries of “traffic,” but are instead clearly demonstrated, over time, and shown to be a real condition, not merely an opinion based in projection, assumptions, or fear.
April 2, 2019 was a Tuesday, residential trash day in the Rancho. The following image shows the distance from property lines from which our municipal sanitation vehicle’s extension arms reach to pick up containers.
A look on the other side of this truck shows the amount of clearance any passing vehicles (in either direction) would have to navigate as the sanitation truck rests over the alleyway midpoint.
Below: (8:33 a.m.) A vehicle exiting the gas station encounters a blocked driveway and opts to exit to Victory Blvd. via the mouth of the alley (a common occurrence). Chevron gas station traffic tends to be heavy in the mornings. In all likelihood, all three vehicles pictured exiting onto Victory Blvd. are about to embark on their morning commute.
Below: A municipal vehicle driver watches mattresses being secured to a flatbed truck opposite the hotel’s proposed garage entrance. (time 9:00 a.m.)
Below: While finding and securing tie-down materials, the driver driver-side door of the mattress truck extends into the alleyway (time 9:02 a.m.). This situation, though safe as seen, presents a potential for injury and property damage at times of congestion if an oncoming vehicle impacts the obstruction.
Below: By 9:37 a.m., our municipal sanitation vehicle (one of them) has returned traveling in the opposite direction servicing residents on the Winchester side of the alley. An oncoming car pauses to wait for safe passage between the truck and a nearby telephone pole. Note the truck has brake lights illuminated as it too pauses to ensure safe passage.
Below: Another sanitation truck traveling the same route also encounters an obstruction delay in the alley as it waits for a local resident to enter their carport. (time 2:39 p.m.)
Throughout the day pedestrian traffic is also frequent as neighbors take their container out for pickup and retrieve them after emptying. The departing trash truck travels well over the alleyway midpoint during its slow migration toward Lake St.
Below: The vehicle we saw enter the carport two minutes earlier, now exits. The sanitation truck has not gone far as it it picks up the many recycling containers that sit in the alleyway. (time 2:41 p.m.)
Below: The next series of images occurs 8 minutes later (time: 2:49 p.m.)
Above: A truck stops briefly next to the Chevron gas station, opposite the proposed hotel’s underground parking entrance. A black SUV style vehicle passes to the left of the truck. In the distance to the right, we can see a Dial-A-Ride bus awaiting to exit the gas station onto Victory Blvd.
Below: Before the SUV approaches and exits the mouth of the alley, another vehicle appears, awaiting to exit the same route. From this angle, we can also see that a small black passenger vehicle sits in front of the Dial-A-Ride bus, also awaiting to exit the gas station onto Victory Blvd. (time: 2:49 p.m.)
Below: At 3:29 p.m. we see a UPS truck parked along side the Chevron Extra-Mile shop, leaving a passing lane for two-way traffic to its left.
As it departs, it requires a little clearance to pull away. Note the angle of the UPS truck in the second photo.
Above: As it approaches the mouth of the alley, we can see that it occupies the full central portion of the alleyway mouth before exiting onto Victory Blvd.
Below: This central usage of the alley mouth is not due to carelessness, nor spatial luxury. The UPS truck requires a little extra space to accommodate its large turning radius as it enters onto Victory Blvd. — Here vehicles will turn right whenever possible since the left turn onto Victory Blvd. is a far trickier and treacherous maneuver.
It is our sincere hope that the Glendale City Council will view these photographs and consider all of their implications; from issues regarding resident inconvenience and prevention of usage, to the potential for property damage, injury, or fatality.
Please email City Council at the addresses below and let them know that measures must be taken to mitigate the cumulative traffic congestion caused by allowing hotel patrons to occupy both lanes of alley traffic. The solution to this is to require incoming hotel traffic to approach the underground parking entrance while remaining on the hotel property exclusively, and only exiting into the public alleyway. This method of incoming traffic approach has been used by all businesses previously located at the same location.
Voice your opposition to PDR-1723012-B by emailing or speaking to CITY COUNCIL
- “Zareh Sinanyan” <zsinanyan@glendaleca.gov>
- “Paula Devine” <pdevine@glendaleca.gov>
- “Ara Najarian” <anajarian@glendaleca.gov>
- “Vartan Gharpetian” <vgharpetian@glendaleca.gov>
- “Vrej Agajanian” <vagajanian@glendaleca.gov>