Topical Responses TOPICAL RESPONSE NO CONSISTENCY WITH THE GREATER

							                                                                                         3.1 Topical Responses



TOPICAL RESPONSE NO. 3: CONSISTENCY WITH THE GREATER DOWNTOWN STRATEGIC
PLAN


Comments were received on the Draft EIR concerning the consistency of the Proposed Project with the
Greater Downtown Strategic Plan (GDSP), which was prepared in 1996. As discussed in the Draft EIR,
the GDSP is an advisory plan of the City of Glendale that is considered in the City’s and the
Redevelopment Agency’s planning and project review processes. For this reason, a comparison of the
Proposed Project with the goals of the GDSP was provided in Section 4.1, Land Use and Planning, of the
Draft EIR. These goals define the vision for downtown as set forth in the GDSP. The conclusion of this
analysis is that the Proposed Project does not conflict with the GDSP and, in fact, is consistent with the
vision for the Town Center site defined in the GDSP. Additional discussion on the intent and purpose of
the GDSP and the consistency of the Proposed Project with the GDSP is provided below.


The first point to consider in evaluating the consistency of the Proposed Project with the GPSP is the
purpose and intent of the GDSP and its relation to the City’s planning process. The introduction to the
GDSP discusses the background of the GDSP and its purpose.


The background discussion notes that the first major report to guide the future development of
downtown Glendale was the Cooper Report, in 1994. As discussed in the introduction to the GDSP, the
Cooper Report was an urban design study prepared by Alex Cooper that set forth a series of themes and
a framework that would help guide the City’s future policies and decision-making. The recognized value
of the Cooper Report was in the vision it presented. The GDSP was subsequently developed by a steering
group as a Strategic Plan to assist in implementing the vision for downtown Glendale presented in the
Cooper Report.


The purpose and intent of the GDSP are discussed as follows: “The GDSP sets forth a series of public
actions and private opportunities. We have taken care to remain true to the strategic nature of the initial
plan done by Alex Cooper. Accordingly, it is not a ‘master plan’ or even a ‘specific plan’. It continues to
paint a vision, while calling for particular projects. It even suggests sites for these projects. And yet, the
concept of flexibility is fundamental to the approach. As the plans for implementation go forward, there
well may be the need to make any number of changes. The key is to measure these proposed changes
against the original vision.” (GDSP, page 7)


The Glendale City Council adopted the GDSP as an advisory document, consistent with the intent and
purpose discussed above. Consistency with each and every element and planning concept in the GDSP is
not required for two primary reasons. First, this would not be consistent with the intent and purpose of

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the GDSP as a strategic implementation plan, and not a land use plan.             Flexibility is defined as
fundamental to the approach for implementing a vision for downtown Glendale presented in the GDSP.
Second, the GDSP is not a legally binding land use plan.


The GDSP includes goals and principles, defines land use and transit frameworks, suggests individual
projects, and discusses implementation of the plan. The structure of the GDSP is described in the
introduction to the goals on page 10 as follows: “The goals for this strategic planning effort seek to build
upon the strengths of the downtown and its surrounding residential neighborhoods and to advocate a
mixture of uses and activities, open space and buildings which will create a unique and vital urban place.
In turn these goals are supported by a set of principles which serve to give greater definition and
meaning to the goals. The goals and principles are then organized and put into a series of frameworks
which are in turn refined into more specific and detailed implementation projects.”


Implementation of this Strategic Plan is discussed on page 64 of the GDSP: “The preceding pages have
painted a vision for the future of Glendale’s downtown and surrounding neighborhood. This is designed
as a guiding structure for subsequent decisions. The Plan calls for a series of public actions and private
opportunities.” The intent of the GDSP is emphasized further on page 68 of the plan “Once again, the
strategic nature of the GDSP must be stressed.” The second principle presented in the GDSP states “the
vision for the City’s future must provide broad implementation strategies which are flexible and can be
adapted to specific neighborhood needs and market conditions.”


The Land Use Framework in the GDSP defines a Town Center District in the center of downtown that
includes the Glendale Town Center Project Site. A specific principle is included in the GDSP for the
Town Center area which reads: “A Town Center will be created as a distinctive place in the Greater
downtown. The Town Center, anchored by the Central Library to the east and the Galleria to the West,
will contain a major public open space, civic facilities and additional commercial uses. The Town Center
should be an attractive gathering place which builds a sense of community and conveys a sense of
belonging for all residents of Glendale.”


The Greater Downtown Open Space Diagram included in the GDSP shows the portion of the Glendale
Town Center site located south of Harvard Street as a “Special Purpose Site”, defined in the GDSP as
open space areas at major entrances or gateways that should establish an image and announce arrival to
downtown Glendale. The Retail and Entertainment Development Plan in the GDSP calls for new retail
uses to be established around this open space area along Central Avenue, both sides of Harvard Street,
and along Brand Boulevard. The GDSP also calls for downtown housing to be provided above the retail



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uses. The proposed Glendale Town Center Project includes all of these elements and is consistent with
the GDSP vision for the Project site.


The Transportation Framework in the GDSP categorizes some of the existing streets in downtown into
five categories. These categories are Signature Streets, Regional Streets, Citywide Streets, Connector
Streets and Local Streets. The streets in and around the Glendale Town Center site have three of these
designations. Brand Boulevard is designated as a Signature Street, Central Avenue is designated as a
Regional Street and Orange and Harvard Streets are designated as Citywide Streets. Improvements to
the pedestrian character of both Brand Boulevard and Central Avenue are suggested in the GDSP. The
GDSP notes that Harvard should be a pedestrian friendly and shopper oriented street that provides
vehicular access to retail uses and parking in the area. The key parking concept presented in the GDSP is
a “park once” strategy. Page 40 of the GDSP states “Under this strategy well-linked, attractive and active
pedestrian places encourage people to leave their car in one parking location and visit various
destinations on foot.” The Town Center District as designated in the GDSP is discussed on pages 57-63 of
the plan. The vision presented for the Town Center District is that it will be a pedestrian oriented civic
and commercial center with an emphasis on public open space including a major new park.


The Proposed Project is consistent with this overall vision for this portion of the Town Center District as
presented in the GDSP. While the Project does not include each and every specific planning concept and
element suggested in the GDSP, this was not the intent of the GDSP, as discussed above. The Stage II
Design Submittal for the Project is provided with Topical Response No. 1: Project Design. As shown in
the Stage II Design Submittal, the Proposed Project includes a mix of retail commercial uses with housing
provided above the retail space. A major public open space is provided in the center of the Project linked
to the surrounding streets and uses by a well-defined pedestrian network. Access for vehicles is
provided to the main parking structure from both ends of Harvard Street within the site. The location
and size of this parking structure is proposed to encourage a “park once” strategy for visitors to
downtown. Closure of a portion of Harvard Street is proposed to create a pedestrian promenade that
links the Galleria to Brand Boulevard through the Project and provides access to the main public open
space area in the middle of the Town Center. Retail space will be provided in front of the parking
structure to enhance and activate the pedestrian character of Harvard Street.

The Project is consistent with the GDSP vision for the site because the Agency used the GDSP as a basis
for developing Project objectives. The GDSP implementation section discusses how public and private
sector projects suggested in the GDSP should be implemented. On page 68, the GDSP states that the
method for implementing private sector projects will be dependent on market demand, with some
projects going through a request for proposal process. Based on the responses the Redevelopment



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Agency will then select a developer for the project and negotiate business terms and complete design
review prior to development.


This is the process the Agency is following for the Project. In June 2000, the Agency directed staff to
prepare land use parameters for the Glendale Town Center Project to support the preparation of a request
for qualifications (RFQ) for developers for the project. The process of reviewing the qualifications
materials submitted included review by a community advisory taskforce. The request for qualifications
issued by the Agency discussed the background and objectives for the Town Center Project and stated
that both the Cooper Plan and the GDSP are considered excellent tools and resources that will assist the
Town Center Project concept. The RFQ further states that these plans are not absolute requirements for
future development; rather, they serve to provide context, background and a broad perspective that will
be useful in identifying the type and quality of project desired by the Glendale Community. These
statements in the Agency’s RFQ reinforce the purpose of the GDSP and the concept of flexibility that is
fundamental to the approach of the GDSP. The developer for this Proposed Project was chosen through
this process and the Project design is being reviewed and refined though the Agency’s Design Review
Process, which is consistent with the GDSP.


The GDSP recognizes that there will be the need to make changes as implementation proceeds. All of the
characteristics of the process for developing the proposed Glendale Town Center and its design are
consistent with the vision for the Town Center contained in the GDSP.




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