By Eliza PARTIKA

Glendale Community College (GCC) president and superintendent Dr. Ryan Cornner met with around 40 community members on Oct. 29, the last of three meetings to cover the plans for new clinical occupational therapy (OT) and physical therapy (PT) programs planned for the site at 2350 Honolulu Ave. GCC’s properties at 2350 and 2340 Honolulu Ave., which the college has owned since the late 1980s, will be renovated and expanded into a clinical setting and a community center, respectively. 

Community meetings were the first step in a multi-year approval process for the five-year Allied Health Pathways program, supported by the University of Southern California. After community meetings, GCC will develop curriculum and manage the accreditation process for the new Allied Health Pathways program. GCC will also design the Montrose Campus Allied Health Facility and conduct an environmental review using a “design-build” process that incorporates community feedback throughout the process. Construction is set to begin in 2029 and be completed by 2031. 

If approved in its current form, the clinical program could potentially be a pilot program for the introduction of similar programs in rural communities without direct hospital access throughout the state, said Cornner. 

The meeting discussed general plans for the site, the environmental impact report and CEQA reporting requirements. 

Plans for the site include tearing down the Citibank building at 2350 Honolulu Ave. and establishing a two-year physical and occupational therapy program. Cornner and other community members in attendance who are part of the OT profession said this would be one of only a handful in California in a time when there is one OT graduate for every 10 needed in areas like Montrose, which has an aging population. The program will be lab-based, providing 520 hours of fieldwork for physical therapy and 640 hours for the occupational therapy program. 

Cornner integrated the community feedback from the other two meetings into the plans discussed on Oct. 29, including the request for the addition of a public art and community space in the PDC building at 2340 Honolulu Ave. The community space would include public restrooms, art galleries and access to the GCC library collection and provide spaces to hold community meetings – all approved by the Montrose Shopping Park Association. The buildings would not be more than the current height requirement in the area – two stories – and the number of parking spots will not decrease. 

Cornner said the site will bring “tangible health benefits” to the Montrose community and grow the college’s connection to the Montrose community, in addition to providing a productive use for two vacant buildings in the business district of Montrose. 

Attendees expressed concerns about transparency and parking space availability, referencing the lack of a public meeting when the Garfield Campus was erected in South Glendale in 2020. When asked if it was possible to enshrine decisions made by the current board, Cornner was up front with attendees saying that, according to law, the current GCC board cannot pass policy that will impact the decisions made by future boards of the college. Cornner emphasized his willingness to meet with the community in an intimate setting as a sign of transparency. 

“I serve with a board that cares deeply about the community. It is easiest for a president to do nothing. I am here saying what our plans are and aren’t. I am here trying to make sure we are effective in using resources bought with public money,” Cornner told attendees. 

Others at the meeting were surprised at the pushback against the site. One attendee was Denise Miller, a trained occupational therapist and a member of the state board.

“What being safe looks like is having community partners where you can walk down the street to be evaluated,” she said. “When you get to 70 to 85 years old it is a critical moment. We want people to live their life exactly how they want it. That’s how we will train our students. That’s how we train our physical therapists throughout the state.” 

Support for the college was summed up by one attendee: “They are trying to be good neighbors; at the end of the day we all want to be good neighbors, don’t we?”

For more information, contact Glendale Community College or visit https://www.glendale.edu/about-gcc/montrose-campus.html.