Park in south Glendale officially opens

And on Tuesday, the City Council passed a motion to draft a resolution that would allot a certain percentage of the tax increments generated in the city’s two redevelopment zones — Central and San Fernando Road Corridor — to libraries and parkland acquisition.

Glendale Unified School District officials joined their City Hall counterparts Thursday in calling for continuing the momentum of joint park facilities beyond Cerritos Park.

“It truly does mark a great opportunity for folks in south Glendale,” Supt. Michael Escalante said.

A $23.7-million modernization project at Columbus Elementary School on Milford Street between Pacific and Columbus avenues should free up enough space for a soccer field that the city could develop with the proper funding, Escalante said.

That $3.5-million proposal — which would include artificial turf, restrooms and maybe lighting — would be heavily dependent on capital-improvement funding, a priority determined by the City Council, Chapjian said.

Using existing green space at schools — and the opportunity to create it — is a concept that Councilman Frank Quintero has advocated for years, and hailed Cerritos Park as a model for what could be a cost-effective and quick way to provide more parkland for south Glendale.

“It’s not so complicated — you fence off the actual classrooms and green out the rest of the campus,” Quintero said. “I hope we can continue to do them throughout the city of Glendale.”

The City Council will continue its discussion of setting funding priorities for about $30 million in capital-improvement funds for about 40 city projects — among them the Columbus soccer field and several other public park facilities — at a special meeting at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday in City Council chambers, 613 E. Broadway.

 JASON WELLS covers City Hall. He may be reached at (818) 637-3235 or by e-mail at jason.wells@latimes.com.