Community: Hard hats off to the beautiful businesses in town

By Joyce Rudolph

April 15, 2014 12 AM PT

Glendale Beautiful continues to inspire owners of businesses and apartment buildings to keep up their exterior spaces with its annual awards program.

This year’s awards went to Doran Gardens, 831 W. Doran St.; Montrose Christian Montessori School, 2545 Honolulu Ave., Montrose; Rossmoyne Construction Co., 3500 Ocean View Blvd.; Windsor Manor Retirement Home, 1230 E. Windsor Road; and the city of Glendale Community Services and Parks for Doran Mini Park.

Doran Gardens is a moderate-income housing development that was co-sponsored by the city of Glendale and nonprofit developer Heritage Housing Partners. The 60-unit project combines condominiums with three detached homes built in the early 1900s that make up a rare grouping of remaining California Craftsman bungalows in one of the oldest neighborhoods in the city.

The Doran Mini Park is next door and will soon be expanded, said Michael Fortney, senior housing project manager with the Community Development Department Housing Division. He was among those who attended the awards event in early April at the Joe Bridges Clubhouse.

The City Council approved a 507-unit apartment project next to the Doran Gardens development. Part of the requirements when building a complex downtown is to incorporate public open space. So the developer placed the open area on the park side, allowing for increased park space.

Groundbreaking should be in the fall followed by approximately two years of construction, Fortney said.

Slides were shown of all the improved properties and officials spoke about the upgrades, including floral displays, water features and drought-resistant landscapes.

Myra Kendall, president of Glendale Beautiful, and her committee of Marilyn Hewitt and Roberta Medford drove around Glendale searching for contenders, said longtime member Gladys Wymore. Kendall’s husband, Walter, did the driving and took photographs of those buildings that impressed the ladies.

“We try to encourage businesses to spruce up their places and make them look nice,” Wymore said. “We want to keep Glendale looking beautiful!”

For membership information, call Wymore at (818) 246-3634.

JOYCE RUDOLPH can be contacted at rudolphjoyce10@gmail.com.