News-Press Editorial: One more item to add to the park improvement list

Just how a one-time pool of $16 million would best be spent to enhance the park offerings in Glendale has been under consideration in City Hall this month. If used wisely, the funds, courtesy of development-impact fees related to recent residential and mixed-use projects, obviously stand to benefit local residents of all ages.

There is no question the southernmost and central sections of the city are in need of additional and/or improved recreational facilities. Living quarters are tight in those areas and there simply isn’t enough in the way of expansive green space for casual play or organized sports.

To its credit, the City Council has in recent years been working to better that situation. And, just this week it awarded a $2.5-million contract for the Palmer Park improvement project in the southern part of the city, which will take most of next year to complete. The wait, once that park is closed for construction, might be excruciating for its neighbors, but they’ll eventually be able to enjoy expanded basketball courts, a skate park and a wading pool.

While we applaud all efforts toward rectifying the shortage of recreational facilities there, we would urge the City Council not to reject a staff-proposed recommendation to spend $500,000 — a small fraction of the $16 million it has at its disposal — to complete a restoration project at Le Mesnager Barn in Deukmejian Wilderness Park.

We agree with Councilwoman Paula Devine, who rightly pointed out to her council colleagues that some of our city’s children are not as interested in soccer as their peers, and they would like to know more about plants and forestry. We agree there is a great benefit to the learning opportunities afforded by the wilderness area, regardless of the fact it’s several miles north of the “park poor” area of Glendale, and that the wish-list expenditure of a mere 3% of the multi-millions in funding available to complete the historic barn should be granted.