Glendale to Apply for Parkland Funds

The city of Glendale plans to use money from a state park bond initiative approved by voters in June to make improvements to a wilderness recreation area that provides access to a network of hiking and riding trails in the Los Angeles area.

The City Council on Tuesday authorized officials to apply for a $488,000 state grant for improvements to the 702-acre Inter-Valley Ranch at the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains.

The money is the city’s share of per-capita funds provided by Proposition 70, the California Wildlife, Coastal and Park Land Conservation Act of 1988. Funds are to be used as part of a 3-year, $1.9-million project to build a nature center, picnic and parking areas, and hiking and equestrian trails on the ranch property, said Nello Iacono, parks director.

The city last month also applied for two other grants from the state park bond fund--$500,000 for rehabilitation of a former winery at the ranch that will be converted into the nature center and $250,000 for development of hiking and equestrian trails.

The city last year agreed to pay $5.2 million for the property, the largest remaining undeveloped parcel in the city. The city made a down payment of $3.2 million, and funds for the remaining $2 million have been set aside in the state budget.