Design Review Board approves plan for new home at 4124 Lowell Ave with conditions

The Glendale Design Review Board voted unanimously Jan. 22 to approve a design review application to replace a 1920-era single-family home at 4124 Lowell Avenue with a two-story, contemporary 3,100-square-foot residence and a 488-square-foot two‑car garage. Alan Lambert, the case planner, recommended approval with four staff conditions and several considerations, and the board adopted the staff recommendation after brief deliberations.

Lambert told the board the project qualifies for a Class 3 CEQA exemption under Section 15303 because it proposes one new single‑family residence. Staff's conditions include revising plan-sheet inconsistencies before plan check, showing natural finishes for a 36-inch front retaining wall (for example, natural stone), limiting exterior lighting to entries, egress and vehicle areas, and depicting all mechanical and utility equipment on the plans so they can be integrated into the design.

Architect Ricardo Mora said the design preserves existing mature oak trees, minimizes grading by setting the new structure on existing crawl‑space grades and positions the garage behind trees so the house reads as the primary street-facing element. Mora described a circular driveway of permeable pavers designed to allow vehicles to exit front-first and said the driveway meanders among preserved trees.

Board members praised tree retention, the project's effort to follow the slope and the stepped massing. Board member Welsh recommended the applicant consider contrasting the front door material or adding targeted lighting to clarify the entry; Halagian suggested including tree‑protection details and reviewing downspout options. Lambert said staff will track those suggestions as considerations or conditions for plan check.

Board member Welsh moved to approve the project with the staff conditions; the motion carried on a 3–0 roll call (Welsh, Halagian, Kaskanian). The board did not record any no votes or abstentions. The staff report and conditions will be posted with the project records on the city website.