By Julie BUTCHER

Most of the time, the Glendale City Council meets at city hall. A couple of times each year, the Council ventures out to meet in one of Glendale’s 34 neighborhoods. This week’s meeting on Tuesday night was at the newly renovated Fremont Park, Glendale’s oldest park, built in 1927.

The new community room was packed with representatives from all of the city’s departments with a notably strong presence of first responders, Council regulars and local residents. 

Following a welcome by Mayor Ara Najarian, director of Community Services & Parks Onnig Bulanikian gave an update on the recently completed renovation of Fremont Park. 

According to city reports, “The Fremont Park Master Plan was approved by the City Council on Dec. 8, 2015. The project consists of a community building, artificial turf soccer field, splash pad, picnic areas, barbecues, 26 additional parking spaces, upgraded tennis courts with dual-use pickleball courts, a basketball court, outdoor exercise equipment and two brand-new playgrounds designed for ages 2–5 and 5–12 with exciting play elements like a giant slide, swings and sensory features.”

Since the park’s re-opening, park visitation has increased 33%. Average weekly visitors to the park went from averaging 7,000 in 2023 to approximately 9,400 visitors per week between October and December 2025. 

There have been 50 picnic shelter reservations (at a cost of $41 per hour); 27 reservations of the community room (which holds 80 people – a smaller meeting room is also available for up to 12 people); and reservations of sports fields for adults at 133 and for youth sports at 180 so far. The outdoor fitness area is seeing heavy usage by youth, adults and seniors, Bulanikian reported. The park’s splash pad will operate six months of the year, from May through October, utilizing recycled, treated water.

All of the sports fields are open and free to use on weekdays from 7 a.m. – 3 p.m. E-bikes, e-scooters and e-boards are all prohibited throughout the park, as are smoking, gambling and alcohol. The city installed speed humps on adjoining streets. Twice the number of trees displaced were planted during the renovation.

In response to some online criticism of the amount of concrete utilized in the new park, Bulanikian explained the design was responsive to first responders and to meeting the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

The 10-year project cost approximately $27 million.

He answered that next in line for park construction is the 2.39-acre former site of Joann Fabric and Crafts in Glendale at 1000 S. Central Ave.

“In terms of accessibility, all parks should be this accessible,” Fernando Roldan addressed the Council. “If you’re in a wheelchair, you need that concrete. Other cities should take a lesson from what you’ve built here.” Roldan also advocated for the addition of alternative sports such as wheelchair soccer. 

Councilmember Dan Brotman commended the speed bumps as “extreme.” 

“I like it,” he said. Questioning the new rates for the rental of tennis courts, he deemed the $20 per hour rate as “steep.”

Director Bulanikian explained that the tennis concession has been contracted for at least 30 years as the city lacks the expertise to organize tennis pros and lessons and tournaments. The rental rate before the renovation was approximately $8-12 per hour; it is now $20 per hour. The rate for seniors (60 or older) is discounted by 50%. Operated by the Glendale Tennis Academy, the courts are open to the public for free each weekday from 8 a.m. – 10 a.m. and from noon to 2 p.m. In comparison, Burbank charges $25 per hour for its tennis courts and $30 per hour for clay courts. Pasadena has a membership system that costs $400 to join and then monthly packages for its two tennis complexes.

Glendale Police Traffic Bureau Lieutenant Pete Robinson shared a comprehensive update on e-bikes, e-motorcycles, and e-scooters and “motorized bicycles.”

E-bikes are essentially bicycles and treated as bicycles under current laws. There are three classes of e-bikes: Class 1 are pedal assisted, meaning that the rider must pedal the bike for the motor to kick in to help make pedaling easier. They top out at speeds of 20 mph. Class 2 e-bikes are throttle-assisted, equipped with a motor controlled by a throttle, and the rider does not need to pedal for assistance from the bike’s motor. These also go up to 20 mph. Class 3 e-bikes can go up to 28 mph (the fastest allowable under California state law).

No driver’s license is required to operate any of these and riders of all ages are permitted, except for Class 3 type e-bikes, which are designated for riders over 16 years. Helmets are required for riders under 18 years old, and helmets are required for all riders of Class 3 e-bikes. They are not allowed on sidewalks in business districts but residential streets are exempt.

Lt. Robinson described e-motorcycles, or e-motos, as “essentially an electric dirtbike.” They have no functional pedals and are marketed specifically for 14–15 year olds. One model, the Tuttio Soleil, retails for $1450 and is recommended for riders under four feet tall and is advertised as offering “breathtaking acceleration.”

Some models can go up to 80 mph after being “unlocked.”

E-motorcycles are not legal on any city street or property and are considered motor vehicles requiring licensing and registration. There are loopholes that allow minors to ride them and the police report incidents with groups of e-motorcycles potentially endangering public safety. 

Mayor Najarian asked if the city should consider banning them and a group of children echoed that request.

E-scooters have a floorboard or a seat, may be powered by gas or electricity, and require a commercial driver’s license and a helmet and are limited to be ridden in bike lanes or on public roads; they are not permitted on sidewalks. 

Glendale Fire Chief Jeff Brooks offered a brief update on Zone Zero. CAL FIRE describes Zone Zero as an area of defensible space within the first five feet of a home or other building. It is considered the most important area to keep clear of combustible items, such as woody mulch and plants, to reduce the risk of a structure igniting during an ember-driven wildfire and creates an ember-resistant zone. Zone Zero will help save lives and protect homes, buildings and other vital resources.

Chief Brooks reported that the state’s Forestry Board has put a “hard hold” on advancing Zone Zero plans and that no action will be taken to at least March and that there will be no implementation of any changes until 2027. The hold acknowledges differences of thought on allowing well-hydrated vegetation surrounding homes. Brooks said that it shows the agency is receiving and hearing public feedback.

The fire department’s website has advice for home hardening to prevent fires https://www.glendaleca.gov/government/departments/fire-department/fire-prevention/vegetation-management-and-brush-abatement/hardening-your-home and the department regularly helps homeowners with these home-hardening efforts.

Council regular Alan Dish expressed his concerns about the loss of trees.

The last presentation of the evening was an overview of upcoming capital projects planned for the area:

The West Glendale ADA curb ramp installation and sidewalk repair program, Phase 2, will repair sidewalks, install curb ramps, repair gutters and make improvements on driveways and alley aprons. Construction for this project is expected to run from May 2026 through October 2026.

The West Glendale pavement management program implementation project (PMP), Phase 1, will make asphalt and sewer improvements; re-align a skewed intersection; and make street striping and marking improvements. This project will start in September 2026 and is anticipated to be completed in January 2027.

Finally, Phase 2 of the San Fernando Road beautification project, expected to start in February 2027, will make pedestrian, roadway, traffic signal safety and landscape and parkway improvements as well as adding “creative crosswalks” to the thoroughfare.

One commenter commended city staff for its responsiveness, adding that notice of projects needs to go out “far earlier.”

A resident of one of the streets being considered for “bump-outs and a dedicated bike lane” spoke against the plans, indicating that the city told the neighborhood that if 75% of them signed a petition against the changes they would not take place. 

“Well, we submitted signatures from 88% of the residents on the street and still have not heard back” from the city, the resident reported.

Councilmember Ardy Kassakhian urged all of Glendale’s residents to sign up for the MyGlendale app for service requests and to report what they see.

MyGlendale app for android phones is found at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.citysourced.glendaleca&hl=en_US; for Apple devices: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/myglendale-ca/id405138962.

To report a problem online, visit https://www.glendaleca.gov/residents/how-do-i/contact-the-city/report-a-problem-online.

The Council will be back at city hall for next week’s meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 27 at 6 p.m.