Design review board approves 1624 Narco Way addition with conditions to simplify roof and adjust fenestration

The Glendale Design Review Board unanimously approved a one‑story house addition at 1624 Narco Way after staff presented five conditions intended to align the work with neighborhood scale and detail. Case planner Kiesel said the addition would increase the house from 2,172 to roughly 2,869 square feet and is exempt from CEQA as a Class 1 project because it does not exceed the applicable floor‑area thresholds.

Kiesel recommended conditions requiring front and street‑side landscape plans, a restudy of the Larko Way façade to improve scale and proportion (including lowering head heights and adjusting the bay window), a simplified roof plan to reduce awkward intersecting eaves, revised material choices that build on the existing house composition, and that proposed windows be fixed casement or hung, recessed within the façade.

Architect Vlad Artunyan, who said his office is handling the design, described a long permitting process accelerated by structural urgency: “Every time it rains, the ceiling collapses,” he told the board, requesting flexibility on materials given the homeowner’s repair needs. Board members generally supported the project’s modest scope but asked for a careful restudy of the semi‑circular front bay window and confirmation that the chimney and major features would be appropriately integrated with the new roof.

The board approved the project with the amended window operation condition and the remaining staff recommendations; the motion carried on a roll call vote.

Next steps: Applicant will submit revised window details and landscape plans to staff for review prior to building permits.