Glendale City Council approves new gym plan of Chamlian Armenian School

PanARMENIAN.Net - Chamlian Armenian School can move forward with plans for a new gymnasium after the Glendale City Council unanimously overturned a commission-level decision to deny the project.

The decision was a victory for the dozens of school administrators, parents and students — many donning athletic jerseys - who packed the City Hall chambers in support of the gym.

“Our only purpose for this project is to enhance our daily physical education classes for our students,” said Principal Vazken Madenlian, Glendale News-Press reported.

City planners determined that the gym would not add to existing traffic associated with daily drop-off and pick-up of students.

Despite this, the Planning Commission voted 3 to 1 in January to reject the gym, siding with neighbors who have vigorously opposed the project because they say it will add to neighborhood traffic and parking problems.

Roughly 500 students in kindergarten through eighth-grade attend the private school, which has been located at the former public school site of Lowell Elementary for more than 20 years.