Another long-discussed redevelopment proposal has emerged for 2817 Montrose Avenue, a large church property in northern Glendale near La Crescenta. The current plan would replace the existing church buildings and surface parking with a four-story, 42-unit apartment building.
Five apartments would be reserved for very-low-income households. The proposal was placed on the Glendale Design Review Board's August 13, 2026 agenda, with city staff recommending approval subject to several design conditions.
Project Quick Facts
What Is Proposed at 2817 Montrose Avenue?
The approximately 0.83-acre property sits on the north side of Montrose Avenue between La Crescenta and Ramsdell avenues. Plans call for demolishing the existing church complex and constructing three residential levels above a first-floor parking garage.
The apartment mix would lean heavily toward larger units: 37 of the 42 homes would have two bedrooms, while five would have one bedroom. The project would include 69 parking spaces, a central courtyard, a rear yard, private balconies and shared amenity decks on the third and fourth floors.
The site slopes upward from Montrose Avenue. Planning documents estimate approximately 6,950 cubic yards of grading for the garage and development. The prominent mature oak tree near the front of the property would remain and is incorporated into the renderings as a major landscape feature.
How the Density Bonus Expands the Project
The property's base zoning would permit 28 apartments. By reserving five homes for very-low-income households—equal to 17.8 percent of the base density—the developer qualifies for a 50 percent state density bonus, adding 14 units and bringing the total to 42.
Glendale approved the project's density-bonus plan with conditions on July 24, 2026. The five affordable apartments would be dispersed through the building and restricted for 55 years. The approval also provides four concessions from local development standards:
Four stories and up to 58 feet are proposed where the base standard allows three stories and 36 feet.
The project would have a 1.85 floor-area ratio, compared with the base maximum of 1.0.
Lot coverage would increase from the base maximum of 50 percent to approximately 58.5 percent.
Approximately 18 spaces may be at or above grade instead of placing all residential parking underground or semi-underground.
State density-bonus parking rules would require a minimum of 61 spaces for the proposed mix of one- and two-bedroom units. The project exceeds that figure with 69 spaces.
A Contemporary Design with Conditions
GA Engineering's design uses sand-finished stucco, Hardie-style plank siding, dark accent volumes, metal-mesh balcony guards and glass railings. The upper levels step back from the Montrose Avenue frontage, while balconies and recessed sections break up the long side elevations.
City staff supports the overall massing and architecture but recommended several changes before final plan check. The conditions call for recessing the windows to create stronger shadow lines, replacing the proposed cobblestone-stamped driveway with a more contemporary paving material, strengthening the landscape buffer between private balconies and common decks, and revising several plant selections around the retained oak tree.
Plans and Elevations
The drawings below show how the long, sloping parcel would be organized and how the four-story building would appear from each side. Select any image to enlarge it.
A Longtime Church Property
The site has a longer history than the current planning documents alone suggest. A 2005 Glendale News-Press retrospective reported that Unity Church of the Valley had been active in the area since 1937 and completed its two-building complex at 2817 Montrose Avenue in November 1955.
Glendale's current staff report uses slightly different dates, identifying the main church as a 1957 building with a 1960 addition. The difference may reflect separate construction phases or differing historical and permit records, but both sources establish the property as a mid-1950s church complex that served the community for decades.
Nearly a Decade of Redevelopment Plans
The 42-unit building is the latest in a series of concepts considered for the property. The site has moved through several designs as ownership, housing rules and development economics changed.
Crescenta Valley community reporting noted that the former Unity Church property had been placed on the market with a plan for 27 townhouses.
An earlier density-bonus plan for 38 apartments, including three very-low-income units, reached Glendale's public-review process.
The Crescenta Valley Community Association reported that the property was entering a fourth design phase and that updated plans were expected.
The revised proposal adds 14 density-bonus units above the 28-unit base density and moves forward with five very-low-income apartments.
The Property Is Also Being Marketed for Sale
As of August 11, 2026, the property was listed for sale at $6.999 million. The real-estate marketing described a 45-unit concept consisting of 42 apartments plus three accessory dwelling units.
The City package placed on the Design Review Board agenda, however, specifically describes a 42-unit apartment building and does not include the three ADUs. The listing should therefore be read as a broader marketing concept rather than the exact project reviewed by the board.
Redfin Listing Gallery
The listing images include marketing renderings and elevations for the proposed apartment project, along with exterior and interior views of the former church property. Select any image to enlarge it. Images: CRMLS listing via Redfin.
Design Review and Next Steps
The project was placed on the Glendale Design Review Board's August 13, 2026 agenda, with staff recommending approval subject to conditions. The City's agenda and meeting archive should be checked for the board's final action and any revisions requested during the hearing.
Even with Design Review approval, revised plans, plan check and building permits would still be required before demolition or construction could begin. City staff also determined that the proposal qualifies for a Class 32 infill-development exemption from further review under the California Environmental Quality Act.
Location
Explore More on the San Fernando Valley Blog
What do you think of the latest plan for 2817 Montrose Avenue—an appropriate use of the longtime church property, or too much development for this part of Glendale?
Sources and Credits
- City of Glendale Design Review Board agenda and attachments, August 13, 2026 — staff report, plans, density-bonus decision and project images.
- Glendale News-Press: “Unity Church to Mark 50th Anniversary,” December 2, 2005 .
- Crescenta Valley Weekly, October 6, 2016 — earlier 27-townhouse marketing concept.
- City of Glendale 2019 public-hearing notice — earlier 38-unit density-bonus proposal.
- Crescenta Valley Weekly, January 2, 2025 — reference to the property's fourth design phase.
- CRMLS listing via Redfin — asking price and separate 42-unit-plus-three-ADU marketing description, checked August 11, 2026.
- Official renderings, plans and elevations: GA Engineering, via City of Glendale Design Review Board materials. Street-level and aerial images: Google imagery. Redfin listing gallery: CRMLS listing images displayed on Redfin. Hero: illustrative SFV Blog composite; not an official project rendering.
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