Sidewalks

Robert Chacon If the La Canada Flintridge City Council approves a $53,000 concrete repair contract tonight, business owners and shoppers will be walking easy beginning in April. Public Works Director Steve Castellanos has recommended that the City Council approve the contract with Glendale-based Vart Construction for concrete repair of at least 48 different locations in the city, most of them along business-lined Foothill Boulevard. The repairs are part of an annual effort by the city to repair concrete that has been lifted by tree roots, driveways damaged by weather and wear, and crumbling curbs and gutters.

Robert Chacon A long-simmering battle to bring sidewalks to some of La Canada Flint- ridge's residential streets is once again coming to a boiling point. This time, the focus is on Chevy Chase Drive between Descanso Drive and Foothill Boulevard, where some residents say sidewalks are needed to ensure the safety of pedestrians, but others oppose the notion, citing the desire to maintain the area's rural and rustic charm. Homes on this stretch of the street were built on large lots, and owners often kept their horses on the property.

Fred Ortega Children's safety beat out neighborhood charm Monday night when the City Council approved the installation Monday of sidewalks along La Canada Boulevard. La Canada Elementary School students will no longer have to walk to school along an uneven, rock-lined path. The council voted, 4-0, to install sidewalks, curbs and gutters on the west side of La Canada Boulevard, extending a walkway that already exists in front of the school north to Olive Lane.

Fred Ortega The City Council will consider a proposal tonight to install sidewalks on La Canada Boulevard near La Canada Elementary School that some neighbors argue will hurt the look of the community. The proposal, which would also extend an existing loading zone in front of the school, would cost an estimated $500,000, city officials said. Parents, who say that the improvements are needed to protect children walking to and from the school, are going head-to-head with residents like Harriet Hughe, who say installing sidewalks would take away from the area's rural character.

It seems the complaints of the few carry more weight than the facts in most cases. This letter is in response to your headline story on Friday, Aug. 24, concerning the cutting of carob trees and replacing them with spindly trees. Obviously the complainers haven't experienced the many problems associated with the beautiful carob trees. Have they raked up pods from their lawns and from the streets in front of their houses? Have they experienced the ruining of the sidewalks?

LA CANADA ELEMENTARY TRAFFIC DEBATED The City Council continued its public hearing period on proposed construction of a student drop-off zone on La Canada Boulevard, behind La Canada Elementary. The council is considering several projects that would result in a less congested street during drop-off and pick-up times. Sidewalks that would make walking to school safer for some students are also being considered. The council heard comments from residents who are for and against sidewalks.

Great Divide? I was raised in the Crescenta Valley. I have lived in both the unincorporated section of La Crescenta and the Glendale annex. I found it interesting that Janet Thompson explained that the Glendale annex section has a "human society" defined by street lights, police service and sidewalks. I guess we who live on the other side of Pennsylvania Avenue are nonhuman by default. It must be the street lights and the sidewalks, because we have great police service from the sheriff's department.

Local sidewalks to be cleaned The City Council has approved a recommendation from the Department of Public Works to expand an existing sidewalk cleaning contract to include the Montrose Shopping Park. The contract with Hydro Pressure Systems will now include quarterly washing and cleaning of sidewalks and fixtures along Honolulu Avenue between Verdugo and Sunset, on the north and south sides. The contract will also include debris pickup from gutters. The bulk of the contract, which now totals $442,546, will cover work in downtown Glendale.

Darleene Barrientos Smooth sidewalks, uncluttered treetops and smooth, green, working lampposts in the 2200 block of Honolulu Avenue are a preview of what's to come for the two remaining blocks of the Montrose Shopping Park. City workers erected several of the lampposts Tuesday along the 2300 block of Honolulu Avenue, while shoppers and strollers watched curiously as they walked to the shopping park's cafes and shops. When the lampposts are tested and found to be working properly, the city will repave the torn up and patched sidewalks, said John Drayman, secretary of the Montrose Shopping Park Assn.

Many of Glendale's neighborhoods were developed in the 1920s and '30s, when it was billed as one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States. Most of these residential areas have sidewalks that were laid when the houses were built. The custom then was for the contractor to embed a stamp (sometimes called a stencil) on the sidewalks, and these stamps have become a visible history of those who built the city. The history that those stamps preserve seems to be of interest to many people who use the city's sidewalks.

The burning body of a man was found on an Altadena sidewalk early Sunday, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. A passerby spotted what appeared to be a burning object in the 2600 block of North Windsor Avenue about 6 a.m., said Deputy Lillian Peck, a Sheriff's Department spokeswoman. After approaching, the passerby realized that it was a human body and called 911, Peck said. Deputies and firefighters responded and pronounced the man dead at the scene.

Five people were hurt Saturday when an 18-year-old motorist crashed and pinned at least two pedestrians against the former Borders building, officials said. Two of the five people were listed in stable condition Monday at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center, where one was being treated for fractures, and the other for a non-life-threatening head injury, said Glendale Fire Battalion Chief Greg Godfrey. Paramedics transported two other victims to Glendale Adventist Medical Center, where they were treated for minor injuries, he added.

Glendale will pay $125,000 as part of a settlement agreement with a man who fell over a raised sidewalk and permanently injured his left eye. The city has settled slip-and-fall cases before, but they rarely reach into six-figures. The injured man, Michael Donovan, claimed that as he carried a large container filled with leftovers from a dinner party at a friend's house to his car on June 21, 2009, he tripped and fell over a sidewalk that had been cracked and raised by a magnolia tree, according to court documents.

Many of Glendale's neighborhoods were developed in the 1920s and '30s, when it was billed as one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States. Most of these residential areas have sidewalks that were laid when the houses were built. The custom then was for the contractor to embed a stamp (sometimes called a stencil) on the sidewalks, and these stamps have become a visible history of those who built the city. The history that those stamps preserve seems to be of interest to many people who use the city's sidewalks.

Glendale is reconsidering a steep permit fee increase for sidewalk dining areas after City Council members said they were unaware it would be applied across the board, regardless of the number of outdoor tables covered by each permit. Earlier this year, the council approved raising the annual fee from $50 to $650 - a major hit to small restaurants that have just a couple sidewalk tables. “To me, that's the flaw,” said Mayor Laura Friedman at the City Council meeting on Tuesday.

Glendale plans to spend $1.2 million through next year on new sidewalks in the northwest part of the city. The project also includes addition of handicap access ramps at Brand Library in an ongoing effort to comply with federal disability laws. The City Council approved the project on Tuesday. Each year, the city installs new handicap access equipment to comply with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act. This year, new curb ramps will be placed at the main entrance to Brand Library.

Planning commissioners this week recommended lifting a 50-year ban on sidewalk signs for businesses, but not before attaching size restrictions, a $100-fee and a requirement for $1 million in liability insurance. The Planning Commission voted 3-0 Wednesday to recommend that the City Council lift the ban that has been unpopular with many business owners who argue that during tough economic times, they need the signs to advertise more than ever. The signs have been banned for years, as they were considered “visual clutter that would not benefit the look of the city,” according to a city staff report.

Planning commissioners this week recommended lifting a 50-year ban on sidewalk signs for businesses, but not before attaching size restrictions, a $100-fee and a requirement for $1 million in liability insurance. The Planning Commission voted 3-0 Wednesday to recommend that the City Council lift the ban, which has been unpopular with many business owners. They contend that during tough economic times, they need the signs and their advertising value more than ever. The signs were banned because they were considered “visual clutter that would not benefit the look of the city,” according to a city staff report.

I am responding to the proposal to further cut — if not kill — our Chevy Chase Library, a branch that has already hemorrhaged hours, books and services (“Libraries could shoulder brunt of budget cuts,” May 12”). Glendale public library officials have presented the City Council with a proposal to transfer management of the Chevy Chase branch to Community Services and Parks, to develop it as a community center and rental venue, and continue a “minimal library presence.” Read “minimal” as the library’s death knell.

Have you seen or stumbled on one of those black rubber domes in the Glendale sidewalks? For 100 years, American cities have constructed flat, non-skid sidewalks. Glendale has expended and continues to expend millions of dollars repairing and replacing uneven sidewalks. So why is Glendale Water & Power being permitted to install domed "smart grid meter" lids in our sidewalks? A meter program official assured me that the meters can be read just as efficiently if a lid is flat.