From: Alex Khatchaturian <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, July 30, 2024 3:49 PM
To: Adjemian, Aram <[email protected]>
Subject: Fwd: Comments for 7/30/24 City Council Meeting Action Item 8c; ADU Ordinance Amendments
CAUTION:
This email was delivered from the Internet. Do not click links, open attachments, or reply if you are unsure as to the sender.
Mr. Adjemian,
I am forwarding you my comments to the city council for item 8c on tonight's city council meeting agenda pertaining to amendments to the city's ADU ordinance. It appears Ms. Abajian is out of the office until tomorrow. I want to make sure my comments are submitted to the public record, and, if allowed by the city council, read by you or another member of city staff at tonight's meeting. Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend to participate in person or by telephone. Please kindly let me know either way.
Thank you,
Alex Khatchaturian
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Alex Khatchaturian <[email protected]>
Date: Tue, Jul 30, 2024 at 3:39 PM
Subject: Comments for 7/30/24 City Council Meeting Action Item 8c; ADU Ordinance Amendments To: <[email protected]>, Brotman, Daniel <[email protected]>, <[email protected]>, <[email protected]>, Gharpetian, Vartan <[email protected]>
Cc: Abajian, Suzie <[email protected]>, Golanian, Roubik <[email protected]>, Calvert, Bradley <[email protected]>, Ezzati, Vista <[email protected]>, Neukian, Yvette <[email protected]>, Garcia, Michael <[email protected]> Dear Mayor Asatryan and Honorable Councilmembers,
I am a lifelong Glendale resident and homeowner. I have been trying to get approval for a detached two-story garage/ADU at my primary residence for almost five years. Our local ADU standards explicitly prohibit the construction of ADUs above detached garages, even if all conditions for a mandatory ADU project are met. This prohibition is arbitrary, excessive, and unreasonably restricts the ability of homeowners to create ADUs. Many other cities across the state have successfully implemented policies allowing ADUs above detached garages, demonstrating that it can be done in a way that respects local character and addresses potential concerns about privacy and aesthetics.
I urge you to direct city staff to initiate amendments to the city's ADU ordinance to satisfy all of HCD's findings of non- compliance. Let's align our local ADU ordinance with state law and support our community members in creating much-
needed housing.
Furthermore, I urge you to direct city staff to suspend enforcement of the city's ADU ordinance and process ADU applications under state requirements and standards until the city has adopted a compliant ordinance. As the Notice of Violation indicates, non-compliant local ordinances are effectively preempted by state standards, rendering them unenforceable until compliance is achieved.
Thank you,
Alex Khatchaturian