Park Proposed in Blighted Area : Redevelopment: A San Fernando Road site in Glendale is being considered. Some city officials are skeptical.

Instead of industrial or office buildings, the first signs of urban renewal to sprout up in the blighted San Fernando Road redevelopment area could be more recreation-oriented than business-oriented.

An entire, triangular-shaped city block bounded by San Fernando Road, Los Feliz Road and Central Avenue is being eyed for a park in an emerging plan to give the new redevelopment area a major face lift.

Nothing is definite, but a group of business and property owners is urging the Glendale Redevelopment Agency to begin overhauling the area with green, rather than concrete.

“We think the park should be priority,” said Tony Maniscalchi, chairman of the group, known as the San Fernando Road Project Area Committee.

The San Fernando Road area is a hodgepodge of industrial companies, auto repair shops, salvage yards and other businesses.

Since last year, the project area committee has been working with New York urban planner Alex Cooper, who was hired last year to develop a master plan for the San Fernando Road corridor.

Although the thrust of the master plan is to spur economic development, committee members share Cooper’s view that new parks would help give southern Glendale a new, improved identity, Maniscalchi said.

“That part of the city is extremely dense and there’s virtually no open space,” said Nello Iacono, the city’s parks director. “Not only for the residents, but there’s nothing for the people who work in the area, so anything new would be an improvement.”

In all, Cooper’s plan outlines five locations where new or expanded parks could be created. In addition to the triangle property, other possible sites include a parcel near Cerritos Street and San Fernando Road, a parcel adjacent to Cerritos Elementary School, a piece of property near an industrial area along the Los Angeles River, and a possible expansion and integration of Pacific Park and Edison Elementary School, Maniscalchi said.

But some city officials are skeptical of the proposals, especially the triangle site, which would require the city to acquire a carwash and several other buildings, and which is located next to one of the busiest intersections in town.

City Manager David Ramsay acknowledged that a park on the site would “be nice to look at,” but questioned whether it would be functional.

The San Fernando Road corridor has had little redevelopment since the project area was created in December, 1992.

City officials are hoping that the master plan, which will set down specific areas where industrial facilities, medical buildings, transportation-related projects and other developments can be built, will be an economic catalyst. The document is expected to be completed next year.