Glendale’s Plan & the “City-Owned Residential Overlay (CORO)” — in one paragraph.
The City of Glendale Public Review Draft Land Use Element explains how future growth could be guided across Glendale, CA and introduces the City-Owned Residential Overlay (CORO) for select city-owned sites. In plain English, CORO signals that stand-alone multifamily housing (base up to 50 dwelling units per acre) may be considered on certain public parcels—such as the Glendale and Montrose Shopping Park public lots and the Glendale Community College public lots—without changing zoning today. It’s a policy step: any actual project would still need later zoning actions (Title 30 updates) and public review to determine uses, heights, setbacks, parking, and other standards.
What this means for Glendale (purpose • intent • projections).
The plan’s intent is to focus new homes and jobs in existing, service-rich areas (infill and mixed-use corridors near transit), while preserving single-family and hillside neighborhoods through compatibility and “step-down” design at the edges. For residents and merchants around Montrose Shopping Park (91020) and GCC, that means the City of Glendale is creating a policy pathway first (via CORO) to expand potential housing sites on city-owned land, with zoning updates (Title 30) and full entitlements to follow before anything is built. Final outcomes—how many homes, how tall, and how a project parks and provides open space—will be determined later by zoning standards, design review, infrastructure capacity, market feasibility, and any applicable state density-bonus provisions.
Definitions •
Q&A (Keeping it Simple) •
How to Comment
Key definitions (plain English).
- CORO (City-Owned Residential Overlay): A General Plan overlay the City may apply to specific City-owned parcels. It allows the plan to support stand-alone multifamily (base up to 50 du/ac) on those sites. It does not change zoning by itself.
- 50 du/ac (50 dwelling units per acre): A density number (how many homes per acre). It is not a height rule; height/step-backs still come from zoning.
- FAR (Floor Area Ratio): Caps total building floor area relative to lot size (e.g., FAR 2.0 on a 10,000 sf lot = up to 20,000 sf of building). Separate from height limits.
- Infill: Building inside the existing city (not on new, outlying land). In Glendale this often refers to corridors and centers already served by transit, utilities, and services.
- Mixed-use corridor: Key streets/areas where housing, shops, and services are planned together—often near transit (e.g., areas connecting Downtown Glendale, Montrose, and community anchors like Glendale Community College).
- Transit (in this plan): Bus/rail and related facilities/corridors; the element is directional (no fixed “¼-mile” radius here—distances are refined through future zoning/specific plans).
- Underlying land-use designation vs. Zoning: The General Plan sets the policy designation/overlay (“what the City wants here”); Zoning is the law that controls what can actually be built (uses, heights, setbacks, parking).
- State Density Bonus: Lets qualifying projects exceed base density (and request waivers) when required affordable homes are included.
- “Realistic buildout”: Planning estimate acknowledging sites rarely hit the absolute maximum; results vary with standards, infrastructure, design, and market.
Breaking it down: keeping it simple (Q & A).
Q1. What is CORO in one line?
A. A policy overlay for select City-owned parcels in Glendale, CA that supports stand-alone multifamily (base up to 50 du/ac)—zoning still governs details.
Q2. Does CORO change zoning today?
A. No. It’s a policy layer; zoning updates come later in a separate public process (Title 30).
Q3. If a City-owned parking lot doesn’t have CORO, can housing be built there now?
A. No. Those lots sit under Public/Semi-Public policies; housing would require a plan/zoning change first.
Q4. With CORO applied to a City lot, can housing happen immediately?
A. Not automatically. CORO clears the policy hurdle; the City still needs consistent zoning and a full entitlement review with public hearings.
Q5. If the General Plan and CORO are approved, does that lead to future zoning changes?
A. Yes—by design. The plan instructs the City to update the Zoning Map/Designations and Title 30 to implement the Land Use Map.
Q6. What does “all standards related to the underlying land-use designation still apply” mean?
A. Even with CORO, projects must follow the zoning rulebook (uses, height limits, setbacks, parking, open space) unless legally changed through public processes.
Q7. What does 50 du/ac look like on the ground (e.g., Montrose 91020)?
A. It’s a unit count, not a height. On 1 acre, up to 50 units; on ~2.15 acres, ~108 units base. Height depends on zoning/design (step-backs, open space, parking).
Q8. Can a CORO site exceed 50 du/ac in Glendale?
A. Yes, potentially via State Density Bonus if affordable homes are included (plus any needed waivers).
Q9. What is FAR and how is it different from density in Glendale zoning?
A. FAR caps total square footage; density caps number of homes. A project must fit both (plus height/parking/open-space rules).
Q10. What counts as “transit” here—and how close is “near” for Glendale corridors?
A. The plan speaks to transit corridors and facilities (bus/rail). It doesn’t set a fixed distance in this element; proximity is implemented via future zoning/specific tools.
Q11. How are small single-family/small multifamily streets protected near Montrose or Sparr Heights?
A. Through compatibility and transitions in scale: step-downs, setbacks, buffering, privacy, and noise/light controls at the edges.
Q12. Why is the City using CORO at all in Glendale?
A. To put a policy green light on certain City-owned sites so Glendale can expand its potential housing site inventory before pursuing zoning updates.
Q13. Is the City doing this to help meet state housing obligations (RHNA 2021–2029)?
A. Yes, in part. The plan links “realistic buildout” to the Housing Element and acknowledges Density Bonus can exceed base density.
Q14. Will there be public review before anything is built in Glendale?
A. Yes. Zoning updates and project entitlements require noticed public processes (hearings, environmental review, conditions).
Q15. Does CORO bypass zoning to “build on parking lots” in Glendale or Montrose?
A. No. CORO signals policy support; zoning must still be updated (or already allow it) and projects must pass full review.
Q16. What’s the simple path from here for Glendale residents to understand?
A. Policy first (Plan + CORO) → Zoning updates (Title 30) → Project design review/entitlements. Zoning controls until it’s amended.
In addition… Consider emailing your Glendale City Council members with your priorities on this plan and on any future zoning updates that would implement it for neighborhoods like La Crescenta-Montrose, Sparr Heights, and nearby commercial districts.
Email your comment to
[email protected]
with a clear subject (e.g., “Comment on Public Review Draft — CORO & City-Owned Parcels (Glendale/Montrose)”).
About this post (Glendale CORO guide): This article summarizes the City-Owned Residential Overlay (CORO) within the
City of Glendale Land Use Element and what it could mean for potential housing on city-owned parcels—especially the
Glendale and Montrose Shopping Park public lots (Florencita Ave, 91020) and the Glendale Community College public lots.
It explains how CORO is a policy step (not a zoning change), how future Title 30 Zoning Code updates would implement the plan, and how
density concepts like 50 du/ac, FAR, infill, mixed-use corridors, and transit fit together for neighborhoods in
Glendale, CA, including La Crescenta-Montrose, Montrose Shopping Park, and adjacent commercial districts.