Glendale Will Condemn Lots for Fire Station

The Glendale City Council has decided to acquire several parcels of land for relocating the city’s main fire station and dispatch headquarters by condemnation.

City Manager James M. Rez said the city has been unable to negotiate purchase agreements with two owners of property on Columbus Avenue between Harvard and Oak streets west of the Glendale Galleria. He said the land is needed to build a larger station to replace the headquarters at 210 S. Orange St.

Rez said the outdated Orange Street station, built in 1939, is in a congested area, which delays response to emergency calls at the Galleria, high-rise offices on Brand Boulevard and the industrial area in the western part of the city.

A city-funded study completed in 1981 recommended relocating the headquarters and dispatch center to a site north or west of the Galleria. The city has set aside $2 million for the project in the proposed 1986-87 city budget.

The City Council on Tuesday unanimously agreed to initiate condemnation proceedings in Superior Court. In the meantime, Rez said, city officials will continue to negotiate with property owners in an attempt to reach a settlement out of court.