City of Glendale
Fact Page
General Plan
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What is the purpose of the General Plan?
The State of California requires cities and counties to develop a comprehensive policy document of elements (topics) to guide all decisions about land use, development, public services, and quality of life.
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Update as of August 19, 2025: The Comment Period will be extended. Please follow the City for new information.
What is being updated?
The City is comprehensively updating its Land Use and Circulation (now called Mobility) Elements of its General Plan and adding the State’s new Environmental Justice Element.
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On August 12, 2025, the City Council received a report addressing community concerns about the General Plan and what is being updated. Community Development Director Bradley Calvert clarified several points:
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The City is NOT changing zoning on City-owned parcels in the Montrose area for the purpose of triggering redevelopment, NOR is there any intent to sell these properties. Any such decision would require community input and City Council direction.
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There is NO proposal to eliminate single-family zoning along Glenoaks Blvd, and NO further action is being taken on that matter.
The General Plan upzones city-owned parking lots for high density residential development.
FACT: NO — this is not happening.
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The City is NOT changing zoning through the Draft Land Use Element.
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Any future zoning changes would require a separate public process, environmental review, and City Council approval
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The City retains ownership of these sites, and no project could proceed without City Council initiation and extensive public engagement. There is no intent to sell City parking lots.
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The overlay is intended to protect the City against potentially less compatible state-mandated housing projects in the future, and exhibit good faith efforts to the State in Glendale’s housing and development policies
Click here to read the staff report presented to Council on July 15, 2025.
Public Review Draft for Land Use.
Click her to view video.
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“The City is currently considering a proposal to replace Montrose’s public parking lots with mixed-use, multi-family development.”
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FACT: The City is NOT currently considering any development proposals for any of the public parking lots.
Click here to read the staff report presented to Council on July 15, 2025.
Draft Environmental Justice Element.
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“The City plans to eliminate businesses located north of Honolulu Avenue and will replace Montrose’s local shops and events with dense housing.”
FACT: NO. The Draft Land Use Element does not propose any changes to the commercial corridor on Honolulu Avenue in Montrose and no businesses are proposed to be eliminated. The July 15, 2025, City Council meeting addressed this concern directly, confirming that commercial areas in Montrose will remain.
“Construction tied to the Glendale Plan will create years of noise and congestion in Montrose.”
FACT: The Draft Land Use Element is a policy document—it DOES NOT approve or schedule any construction projects in Montrose, or anywhere else in the City. Only City Council would be able to initiate a project on any City-Owned Residential Overlay site and if any project were ever proposed anywhere in the City, its impact, including noise and traffic, is studied and addressed in its own public review process.
“These land use elements are changing the landscape and fundamental characteristics of neighborhoods such as Montrose, Rossmoyne, Royal Canyon, above Glenoaks Canyon and Rancho.”
FACT: NO — the Draft Land Use Element does NOT change or rezone single-family neighborhoods, including Montrose, Rossmoyne, Royal Canyon, above Glenoaks Canyon, and Rancho.
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Single-family and hillside neighborhoods are preserved and protected under Policy LU-2.3.
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No Land Use Map changes are proposed for these neighborhoods.
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Properties within the Glenoaks Canyon neighborhood are either commercial, mixed-use or moderate to higher density property. Video.
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The Land Use Element is not proposing to build five-story low-income development buildings in Montrose. Video.
Click here to read the staff report presented to Council on July 15, 2025.
Public Review Draft for Land Use.
Click her to view video.
“No public outreach has been done for residents.”
FACT:
Update as of August 19, 2025: Meetings will be scheduled in partnership with the Montrose Shopping Parks Association to continue the ongoing discussion. In addition, a joint flyer from the City and MSPA will be released to address concerns.
During the week of August 18, Staff engaged with Royal Canyon and their HOA Board. Similarly, on August 19, Staff met with MSPA board. Video.
Since 2024, the City has carried out extensive outreach for the Environmental Justice Element, including public outreach events, an online survey in multiple languages and a direct mailer in five languages to 40,000 addresses in the City’s Environmental Justice areas. The draft Environmental Justice Element includes a public outreach report attached as an appendix (Appendix B), which documents this extensive outreach.
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The City also carried out extensive outreach on the Safety and Land Use Elements, often conducted in conjunction with the Environmental Justice Element. These include updates about the General Plan through multiple channels, including GlendalePlan.com, social media, and newsletters. Information has been shared via flyers, GlendaleTV, targeted emails, and at eleven in-person events such as the Earth Day Fair, Fire Service Day, Cruise Night, and National Night Out.
The City has also met directly with neighborhoods groups (HOAs), business groups, and community organizations, and presented the updates to City Council and the Planning Commission.
Residents can still participate by reviewing and commenting on the Draft Land Use Element, visiting City informational booths at events like the Annual Fall Festival, or scheduling stakeholder meetings with Long Range Planning staff.
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The public comment period for the Draft Environmental Justice Element closed on August 29, 2025.
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The Draft Mobility Element was released for public review and comment on September 2, 2025.
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The comment period for the Draft Land Use Element has been extended indefinitely.
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The City will provide a 30-day notice prior to the close of the comment period for the Draft Land Use and Mobility Elements.
Public Review Draft Documents
Draft of the Land Use Element is available for public review and comment at GlendalePlan.com. Comments can be submitted using the online comment form or by emailing GlendalePlan@GlendaleCA.gov.
Upcoming In-Person Events
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Annual Fall Festival – October 26, 2025, 11:00 AM–2:00 PM, Pacific Park & Community Center
These elements are DRAFTS, and now is the time to submit feedback during the public comment period.
Comments can be submitted online at tinyurl.com/GlendalePlanComment, or emailed to GlendalePlan@GlendaleCA.gov, or mailed/delivered to Long Range Planning Division – Land Use and Environmental Justice Element Comment, 633 East Broadway, Rm. 103, Glendale, CA 91206.
For questions, please contact GlendalePlan@GlendaleCA.gov or call (818) 548-2140.
Learn more about the outreach efforts related to the Environmental Justice Element.
Read the staff report presented to Council on July 15, 2025.
Public Review Draft for Land Use.
Click her to view video.
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