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 photo 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.
As I drive down the alley, one car exits a carport while another one awaits to exit. A typical sight on days when it’s my turn to do morning carpool drive to school. (time: 7:41:09 a.m.)A Glendale Water and Power truck parks alongside the Chevron Extra-Mile shop directly across from the proposed hotel’s underground parking entrance (time 8:59:00 a.m.) The GWP truck departs down the alleyway toward Lake St. An oncoming vehicle traveling the opposite direction can be seen ahead of the truck. (time: 9:02:24 a.m.) A Waste Management truck parks alongside the Chevron Extra-Mile shop, directly across from the proposed hotel’s underground parking entrance, to empty the station’s recycling bin. (time: 9:47:10 a.m.) As the Waste Management truck operator locks doors to the trash containment area, we can see a vehicle waiting behind the truck to proceed down the alley. The nose of the truck sits across from the proposed hotel’s underground parking entrance. (time: 9:47:45 a.m.) Another angle of the kind of back-up traffic seen frequently in the alleyway. (time: 9:48:28 a.m.) Upon departure, the Waste Management truck drives along the central portion of the alleyway to avoid collisions with residential trash bins, neighbor’s vehicles, and pedestrians. (time: 9:48:54 a.m.) A pedestrian views his telephone in the alleyway as a drink vendor’s truck services the Chevron Extra-Mile shop. Meanwhile, vehicles use the remaining lane for passing through the alleyway. Note the open doors to the recently emptied trash containment area which are opened and closed frequently throughout the day and where station employees are often present. (time: 12:23:12 p.m.)Like the image above, Upon departure the soft drink delivery truck drives along the central portion of the alleyway (toward Lake St.) to avoid collisions with residential trash bins, neighbor’s vehicles, and pedestrians. A black passenger vehicle follows closely behind unable to pass. (time: 12:37:16 p.m.)
April 12, 2019
The Chevron gas station is especially busy in the mornings and evening as it serves commuter traffic. Vehicles enter from the alleyway and from Victory Blvd. (often crossing the mouth of the alley to access the station). Vendor trucks are also present in the mornings adding to congestion. Often the vendor truck are too large to park on the station lot and utilize the alleyway along side the Extra-Mile shop (making photographs of the station from this angle impossible) (time: 8:18:53 a.m.)A slow moving truck passes a neighbor unloading his car and a parked vehicle. In the distance we see the lights of a vehicle that passed to the right of the truck. This shot was too late to catch the close proximity of the passing vehicles due to the speed of the car in the distance. (time: 8:52:52)In the same location eight minutes later, two neighbors (one a neighborhood mechanic) speak briefly as a Waste Management truck passes in the narrow alleyway. Multiple large sanitation trucks are a daily occurrence throughout the week. (time: 9:06:52 a.m.)Four minutes later one neighbor departs, passing roadside trash bins, parked cars, a bicyclist, and a pedestrian. (time: 9:10:58 a.m.)One reason that Chevron gas station customers often use the alleyway mouth at Victory Blvd. to access the station is due to the density of traffic in the right lane of Victory Blvd. which often includes buses as well as trucks and passenger vehicles. (time: 1:07:57 p.m.)One minute later (yes, it’s that common) we see the scenario described above. (time 1:08:59 p.m.)Only a minute and a half later (time 1:10:29 p.m.) we see a work truck turning into the alleyway from the gas station lot. This is a common route through the alley for residents and non-residents alike who are coming from or going to the gas station. In the distance we can see an oncoming car heading down the alley in the direction of the truck in the foreground. In addition to time of alley congestion, we also experience a high level of traffic frequency.This picture tells us a lot about the faulty planning and lack of foresight in allowing the hotel to use the alleyway for their ingress and egress traffic. As the truck turns into the alleyway from the gas station we see the doors to Chevron’s sanitation containment area opened. The orange cone brings attention to drivers in each direction that the doors are opened and employees are present. (time: 1:10:33 p.m.)Here a car follows slowly behind a municipal sanitation truck. (time: 2:43:43 p.m.)
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.
Voice your opposition to PDR-1723012-B by emailing or speaking to CITY COUNCIL
