Armenian high school proposed for property

GLENDALE — Nearly 40 acres of land abutting Crescenta Valley Park could soon be more than just open space. Granada Hills-based M. Jorjezian Investments Inc.is proposing construction of an Armenian high school and a condominium village on property it purchased from Mountain Oaks, LLC, about two months ago.

"We're trying to talk with all the neighbors to make sure everybody is OK with the project," said Yeznik Kazandjian, M. Jorjezian Investments' corporate attorney.

The vacant land is between Crescenta Valley Park and the Verdugo Mountains in Glendale, near the Whiting Woods neighborhood.

Kazandjian did not divulge the purchase price of the property, but did say that company officials plan on attending the Crescenta Valley Town Council's September meeting to flesh out some of the plans and get community input.

They are proposing to build the condominium village on nine acres of the land, and the high school — which would likely serve about 500 students — on six acres of the property, he said.

"The Armenian community in Glendale doesn't have a high school," he said. "The Armenian church has a junior high, they have an elementary school and they have a number of pre-schools and kindergartens, but no high school."

The remaining 25 acres will likely be handed over to the Santa Monica Conservancy, Kazandjian said.

"We want to conserve the natural environment in that area because it is a beautiful area," Kazandjian said, adding that the proposed condo village and school would be built on a flat area of the land, and the remaining hilly acreage would be given up.

The developer offered the open space to the city of Glendale, but city officials suggested it might be better to give it to the conservancy, Kazandjian said.

"It's still premature to make any kind of deduction or any kind of opinion on it," Crescenta Valley Town Council member Richard Toyon said. "No one has seen what their plans are, so it's really difficult to offer an opinion."

The property borders unincorporated La Crescenta, which the Town Council represents.

Toyon, president of the local conservancy group, Volunteers Organizing and Conserving the Environment, met with Kazandjian and Glendale Councilman Rafi Manoukian about two months ago to discuss the preliminary plans.

"Mr. Manoukian felt it would be a good thing to meet and to help smooth the waters," he said.