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CITY OF GLENDALE, CALIFORNIA
REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
AGENDA ITEM
Report: Authorization for the City Clerk to Set the Time, Date, and Place of a Public Hearing for the Conditional Vacation of a Portion of the First Alley Easterly of Central Avenue, Southerly of California Avenue, Westerly of Orange Street (Alley 239) for the proposed 236 N. Central Avenue Project, Vacation Case No. 192V
1. Motion Authorizing the City Clerk to Set a Public Hearing for the Subject Alley Vacation
COUNCIL ACTION
Item Type: Consent Item
Approved for September 9, 2025 calendar
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This report requests Council’s authorization for the City Clerk to set a date for a public hearing to consider the conditional vacation of a portion of Alley 239 located south of California Avenue between Central Avenue and Orange Street to facilitate development of the 236 N. Central Avenue Project. The proposed project is an 8-story, 655,418 SF mixed-use building with 682 residential units (72 affordable). The vacation would allow the Project’s parking structure and amenity level deck to span through and across the alley.
RECOMMENDATION
Pass a motion authorizing the City Clerk to set a public hearing on October 21, 2025, for the subject alley vacation.
ANALYSIS
The Project site is 4.57 acres and includes two sites separated by California Avenue: (i) the 3.7-acre Mixed-Use Building Site bounded by California Avenue, Central Avenue, and Orange Street, and (ii) the 0.87-acre Potential Public Park Site located on the northwest corner of California Avenue and Orange Street.
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The Mixed-Use Building Site is bisected by Alley 239 and is developed with a three-story retail building formerly occupied by Sears (closed in March 2020), a three-level parking structure, and a small asphalt surface parking lot. The Project proposes to replace all existing improvements with a new 8-story, 655,418 SF mixed-use building on the Mixed- Use Building Site. The Project would include 682 residential units of which 72 units would be affordable to very low- and low-income households.
The developer has requested that the City process the vacation of the Subject Alley to accommodate redevelopment of the Mixed-Use Building Site. The vacation would allow the Project’s parking structure and amenity level deck to span through and across the alley.
Alley 239 is approximately 18 feet wide and 607.6 feet long, improved with asphaltic concrete pavement. It contains an 8-inch sanitary sewer mainline, an overhead power pole, and underground electrical conduit. The alley connects California Avenue at the north end to Wilson Avenue at the south.
The Applicant is proposing to vacate the northerly 403-foot portion of Alley 239. A new 20-foot-wide by 187-foot-long alley will be constructed at the Project’s southernmost property line running easterly and connecting to Orange Street. If the portion of Alley 239 is vacated, the underlying fee will revert to the fee owner of the Project site and will be incorporated into the Project. If the Project is not constructed, the alley will remain "as is" (conditional vacation).
All City departments, and various agencies and public utility companies have been notified of the proposed alley vacation and have advised the Public Works Department of their conditions or easements that may need to be reserved. This information will be included in a Resolution Ordering the Vacation to be considered at the public hearing.
On August 6, 2025, the Planning Commission reviewed the proposed vacation and recommended approval by passing a motion finding consistency with the applicable goals and objectives of the Comprehensive General Plan of the City.
City Clerk authorization is requested to set a date for a public hearing to consider the conditional vacation of a portion of Alley 239 located south of California Avenue between Central Avenue and Orange Street to facilitate the development of the 236 N. Central Avenue Project.
STAKEHOLDERS/OUTREACH
N/A
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with this report.
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ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW (CEQA/NEPA)
On June 30, 2025, budget trailer bills AB 130 and AB 131 were signed and took effect immediately. AB 130 added Public Resources Code Section 21080.66 creating a new statutory CEQA exemption for certain qualifying infill housing projects that meet the following criteria:
Project site is no more than 20 acres.
Project site is within the boundaries of an incorporated municipality, or "urban area" as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau.
Project site was previously developed with "urban uses" or is substantially surrounded by sites developed with urban uses.
Project is consistent with local zoning standards, applicable general plan standards and any applicable local coastal program, subject to deviations allowed by the State Density Bonus Law.
Project must be at least half the density deemed appropriate to accommodate lower-income households in the State Housing Element Law, as set forth in Gov.
Code section 65583.2(c)(3)(B)
Project will not require demolition of a historic structure that was placed on a historic register before the project's preliminary application was submitted. For projects submitted after Jan. 1, 2025, no portion of the project will be used as a hotel, motel, or bed and breakfast.
All project sites must satisfy SB 35's site eligibility criteria (farmland, wetlands and conservation/species habitat areas are excluded, and coastal sites, fire hazard zones, hazardous waste sites, earthquake fault zones and flood areas are subject to specified restrictions).
Staff has reviewed the Project and has determined that it meets the criteria and is statutorily exempt from CEQA review per Public Resources Code Section 21080.66.
CAMPAIGN DISCLOSURE
This item is exempt from campaign disclosure requirements.
ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATION
1. The City Council may elect not to pass the motion as recommended herein. Denial of the motion to set a public hearing for the subject vacation would require the applicant to redesign the Project and resubmit the Project for City review.
2. The City Council may consider any other alternative not proposed by staff.
ADMINISTRATIVE ACTION
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Submitted by:
Daniel Hernandez, Director of Public Works
Prepared by:
Ruel Villaluna, P.E. Senior Civil Engineer
Approved by:
Roubik R. Golanian, P.E., City Manager
EXHIBITS/ATTACHMENTS
Exhibit 1: Location Map
Exhibit 2: Director of Community Development Report to Planning Commission