Trammell Crow Sears Site Redevelopment

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Glendale City Council voted 4-1 to deny the project. Mayor Ara Najarian cast the lone dissenting vote. Council majority cited scale, design, and the project's alleged failure to honor the Art Deco character of the historic Sears building. The vote came despite city staff, the Design Review Board, the Planning Commission, and the Planning Hearing Officer all recommending approval, and despite the project qualifying for AB 130 CEQA exemption.

California Department of Housing and Community Development issued a formal Notice of Violation, concluding that the city's denial violated the Housing Accountability Act and that the city was legally required to approve the project. HCD stated the project complied with all applicable objective standards and warned of escalation to the California Attorney General if not corrected.

Glendale City Council reconsidered the prior denial in response to HCD's Notice of Violation. City staff recommended the council rescind the October denial and approve the project. The council subsequently voted to reverse its denial and approve the project.

Glendale formally reversed course on its denied 682-unit housing project following state HCD intervention.

Project complies with all objective standards, qualifies for AB 130 CEQA exemption, and meets State Density Bonus Law requirements. Following denial, the developer's attorney described a potential Housing Accountability Act case as a "slam dunk."

Warned colleagues they were inviting legal and financial consequences by denying the project. Cast the lone dissenting vote (1 of 5) on the original denial.

Concluded that the project met all applicable objective standards and recommended approval. After the HCD Notice of Violation, staff recommended the council rescind the October denial and approve the project.

Recommended approval of the project's design.

Recommended approval of the project.

Recommended approval of the project.

On December 30, 2025, issued a formal Notice of Violation concluding that the city's denial violated the Housing Accountability Act. Stated the project qualified for heightened protections under state law and complied with all applicable objective standards, including those modified through the State Density Bonus Law. Advised that failure to correct the violation could subject the city to enforcement actions including referral to the California Attorney General.

Objected on grounds of scale, design, and what members described as a failure to honor the Art Deco character of the historic Sears building.

Developer invoked AB 130 to exempt the project from further CEQA review. This was successful — the city did not require CEQA review. However, the exemption removed one obstruction tool, which prompted the city to deny on design and historic preservation grounds instead.

After AB 130 exempted the project from CEQA review, the City Council pivoted to design review concerns as the basis for denial. Council majority objected on grounds of scale and a perceived failure to honor the Art Deco character of the historic Sears building. The Design Review Board itself had recommended approval.

Council majority invoked the historic Art Deco character of the original Sears building as a basis for denial. The site is the former Sears department store; the new project would replace it.

Official city fact page documenting the HCD Notice of Violation and the reconsideration process. Includes link to the HCD letter itself.

Retrospective analysis placing the Glendale case in the broader context of AB 130 implementation across California.

Documents the final approval following state intervention.

Reporting on city staff's recommendation to rescind the October denial under HCD pressure.

Primary documentation of the October 21, 2025 denial vote and the project specifications.