Carolyn Kaloostian says Glendale needs more housing options, tighter budget review and a mobility plan that fits the city
In an Inclusive Voices Media interview, Kaloostian said Glendale should renovate older buildings, convert underused commercial space and protect public safety while looking for new revenue
Dr. Carolyn Kaloostian says Glendale needs choices.
Choices in housing.
Choices in transportation.
Choices in how the city spends money.
In an interview conducted by Inclusive Voices Media’s Silva Harapetian, the Glendale City Council candidate said the city cannot ignore state housing mandates. But she said Glendale should meet those requirements in a way that protects neighborhoods, supports residents and keeps the city’s character intact.
“It is a serious issue here, and I think we need to have options,” Kaloostian said.
Kaloostian is a physician and professor at Keck Medicine of USC. She described her work in family medicine and geriatrics as a model for how she would approach city government. She said the job requires balance, options and attention to the whole person. She said she would bring the same approach to Glendale City Hall.
“As I do it in my practice in family medicine and geriatrics, it’s an art,” Kaloostian said. “You have to have options for the residents.”
Housing took up the first part of the interview.
Kaloostian said Glendale residents have a right to worry about traffic, infrastructure and the size of new developments. She said the city has seen too many large, high-density apartment projects with limited parking.
“What I’ve been seeing is we’re doing huge high-density housing apartments with not a lot of parking, and we have a right to be concerned about the infrastructure and the traffic,” Kaloostian said.
She said Glendale should look first at older apartment buildings that already have rent caps. Kaloostian said the city could encourage owners to renovate those buildings, modernize utilities and keep housing costs lower.
“My recommendation, and what I’ll support, is to really improve and incentivize the renovation of our older charming buildings, where they have rental caps,” Kaloostian said.
Kaloostian also pointed to adaptive reuse as another path. She said Glendale could convert underused commercial buildings into condominiums, especially as work patterns have changed since the pandemic.
“We can actually convert them to condominiums, and I think that would be great,” Kaloostian said.
She said that kind of housing could give residents a path to ownership. Kaloostian said she bought a small condo before later purchasing a home, and she wants more Glendale residents to have that same kind of entry point.
“My hope is we can provide equity to our residents,” Kaloostian said.
On state mandates, Kaloostian said the city has limited room to refuse what California requires. She said Glendale must comply or risk losing control over its own planning decisions.
“There’s very little you could do about what’s being mandated,” Kaloostian said. “Mandates are, we have to follow them.”
Still, she said compliance does not require a one-size-fits-all approach.
“We can’t just do the same cookie cutter, what everyone does,” Kaloostian said.
Budget pressure formed the second major part of the interview.
Kaloostian said Glendale needs a deeper review of how it spends public money. She said the city’s budget has grown from about $800 million to about $1.2 billion and said residents deserve a clearer explanation of where that money goes.
“We need to really look with a fine tooth comb, maybe with a forensic analysis,” Kaloostian said. “Where is this money going?”
Kaloostian said the city needs better auditing and more careful spending decisions before asking residents to pay more. She said she opposes new taxes.
“I’m against all new taxes,” Kaloostian said. “We need to build revenue.”
She said public safety would rank as one of her top priorities. She also said the fires in Altadena showed the importance of water security.
“After the fires, after what we saw in Altadena, we need to have water security,” Kaloostian said.
Kaloostian said Glendale has enough water but needs to capture it better. She said grants could help pay for that work. She also said water could become a revenue source if Glendale supplies neighboring cities.
“Glendale has plenty of water,” Kaloostian said. “We just need to capture it.”
On transportation, Kaloostian said Glendale should improve mobility but should not simply copy other cities. She said the city needs creative options that fit its own scale, charm and business districts.
“Just because a bus rapid transit is what other cities prefer doesn’t mean our city or town needs that,” Kaloostian said.
She floated the idea of a solar electric vintage trolley. She said a trolley could improve mobility while connecting business districts and supporting local commerce.
“How about a solar electric vintage trolley, which will connect not only help the mobility issue, but it will connect our business districts to each other,” Kaloostian said.
Kaloostian said the trolley concept could also serve older residents and families.
“Senior friendly, family friendly,” she said.
When asked whether pedestrians, bicyclists or drivers should receive top consideration, Kaloostian again returned to the idea of balance. She said city planning should not elevate one group at the expense of everyone else.
“There isn’t one priority,” Kaloostian said. “Everyone’s important.”
She compared the issue to medicine, saying a doctor cannot prioritize one part of the body while ignoring the rest.
“I don’t put your heart over your brain, over your skin or the acute issues that brought you in today,” Kaloostian said. “They’re all important.”
Kalustian also said she wants to support small businesses directly. She said she would donate her City Council salary and hopes other council members would consider contributing as well.
“I don’t want any city money,” Kaloostian said. “I want to make sure that we put that back into small businesses.”
She said that money could help businesses improve storefronts, add lighting and strengthen commercial corridors.
Kaloostian closed the interview by saying she wants her campaign and potential service on the council to reflect teamwork.
“I’m really hoping I’ll be one of your voices, one of your voices and votes for Glendale City Council,” Kaloostian said.
She directed voters to her campaign website, DrKForGlendale.com, and said she wants the city’s next decisions to come through collaboration.
“I really want to make sure that it’s a collaborative effort, whatever we do,” Kaloostian said.
Candidate profile
Dr. Carolyn Kalustian
Race: Glendale City Council.
Profession: Physician and professor at Keck Medicine of USC.
Public service approach: Kalustian says her background in family medicine and geriatrics shapes how she would approach city issues. She emphasizes balance, options, collaboration and practical solutions.
Key campaign themes: Housing options, adaptive reuse, renovation of older buildings, opposition to new taxes, stronger audits, public safety, water security, small business support and a mobility plan that fits Glendale.
Campaign website: DrKForGlendale.com.
Interviewed by: Silva Harapetian, Inclusive Voices Media.
Inclusive Voices Media candidate interview protocol
Inclusive Voices Media has interviewed all but one of the Glendale City Council candidates.
In the interest of fairness and equal treatment, Inclusive Voices Media followed the same protocol for every interview.
All candidates were invited and given the opportunity to select a time slot on the same interview day.
Each interview was limited to 10 minutes.
All interviews were conducted live-to-tape. That means they were recorded continuously without stopping, editing, retakes or do-overs.
Each candidate was asked the same questions. No candidate received the questions in advance.
The interviews air in alphabetical order.
Inclusive Voices Media says its goal is to provide voters with a fair, transparent and consistent platform so they can hear directly from the candidates and make an informed decision at the ballot box.
All candidates were reached and given the same opportunity. All but one candidate participated.