The Foothill Boulevard Design Guidelines, six years in the making, would preserve the strong business profile of the avenue while introducing more landscaping and pedestrian-friendly elements to what residents have criticized as an otherwise “plain” and uninspiring corridor.
In December, the City Council authorized the Planning Department to draft a new development plan for the north Glendale annex, which officials continue to work on.
Meanwhile, at least one big-box store is slated for the corridor with a design residents have already hailed. A Spanish-themed, 11,700-square-foot Walgreens at 3001 Foothill Blvd., due to come online in 2009, will feature a patio cover on one side with a colonnade of vines and a drive-through.
Schools deal with cuts, enrollment
The Glendale Unified School District will have to cope with midyear slashes in funding before the school year is over, but officials will not know the value or timing of the reductions until state lawmakers make decisions to accommodate California’s historic budget deficit.
Officials believe they will be able to weather the worst-case estimates of midyear cuts, up to $8.8 million, with the district’s existing reserves, but are uncertain how the district will operate with resources that are expected to continue shrinking.
Further complicating the prospect of midyear cuts and future reductions in resources are the rising costs of health benefits, as well as the district’s allocation of funds, of which 85% are dedicated to salaries and benefits.
If it is forced to make cuts, it would have to reduce positions, but would not be able to do so until the end of the school year.
On top of the state’s budget crisis, the district has been experiencing a declining trend in enrollment, which will further shrink its resources, as officials have projected.
