None of these questions were answered Wednesday when the Glendale Planning Commission approved a use variance to allow 4 live/work artist units in a new 4-story, 36-unit affordable housing project at 331 and 327 Salem Street. The proposed design will be eligible for state tax credits under SB 1818, include Silver LEED Certification, and provide 57 parking spaces (instead of the 81 that would normally be required under city code).

Consultant Rodney Khan gave the presentation, focusing on the city’s goal of increasing affordable housing and council’s stated goals of creating an arts district and encouraging live/work developments. Khan stressed that the site is only one block away from the Downtown Specific Plan area, where live/work units are already encouraged. Eligibility for the density bonus was determined at a Zoning Administrator’s hearing just that morning.

The lack of a city policy on live/work units had commissioners leaning toward postponement until after the Housing Authority/City Council joint meeting on the subject March 16. But when Planning Director Hassan Haghani and Khan both mentioned the project was on a tight deadline to apply for state tax credits, and the matter would be appealed directly to city council, commissioners decided to approve the project with recommendations.

The project is eligible for the state’s “density bonus” under SB 1818, a law that rewards affordable and low-income housing developments. Coincidentally, Paul Krekorian’s defeat of a Valley Village apartment project and its SB 1818 claims was featured Wednesday in CurbedLA.

Parking was a concern for some commissioners and several speakers who represented area property owners. The fact that live/work units might require special parking accommodations for deliveries, hours of business, clients, art showings, etc., was raised but not resolved.

Eric Yesayan commented, “Regardless of how ‘green’ this project is, we are still losing public parking.” Yesayan, Chang Lee, and Hank Sheets all had strong concerns about parking, while commission chair William Kane said, “I’m satisfied in terms of testimony that it is parking neutral.” Parking ended up being a secondary issue, as commissioners decided to approve the project instead of postpone it based on the state tax credit application deadline.