By Robin GOLDSWORTHY

Restaurants and retailers can apply now to participate in Al Fresco Glendale, a temporary program created by the Glendale City Council that encourages outdoor dining and shopping in commercial hubs throughout the city. This announcement follows a decision on June 2 by the Glendale City Council to waive fees associated with the Al Fresco Glendale Program as a way to assist restaurants with the loss of potential indoor capacity due to COVID-19 public health orders.

Recent announcements by the Los Angeles County Dept. of Public Health allowing restaurants and retail establishments to re-open with limited capacity gave rise to the program. Al Fresco Glendale expands the current sidewalk dining and temporary certificate of occupancy permit to allow retail businesses to sell outdoors or in designated parklets, City-established locations in parking spaces; waive the application fees for both the Sidewalk Dining and Temporary Certificate of Occupancy Permits for 90 days effective June 9 to Aug. 31; allow for restaurants to offer outdoor dining in private parking lots; allow for the creation of 14 temporary parklets, which will permit outdoor dining, retail and alcohol service. Parklets are primarily located in Downtown Glendale and in Montrose.

In Montrose, parklet installation and setup will begin closer to June 18-19 to coordinate the placement of K-rails with the arrival of tables, chairs, umbrellas, decorations, planters and proper signs.

“We’re working with our merchants, educating and explaining to them the plans and how they will benefit,” said Andre Ordubegian, president of the Montrose Shopping Park Assn.

Ordubegian said that the City will be supplying the tables, chairs, umbrellas and other materials that will create a continuity in the shopping park.

“Our hope is that [the parklets] create an ambiance in the shopping park,” he said. “We want people to not only learn about the dining options but the retails shops, too.”

There are six designated initial locations in the Montrose Shopping Park.

Additional parklets could be phased in if necessary but Ordubegian stressed that ease of instituting the changes is mandatory.

“It must be seamless for the businesses,” he said.

According to Ordubegian the City has been very helpful in the process of creating and installing the parklets. He praised the Business Recovery Task Force for listening to the concerns of the shopping park and working to create an environment that is inviting.

One of those concerns centered on the possible closure of Honolulu Avenue in order to accommodate the parklets. Ordubegian said closing the avenue is not an option.

“If you close the street the cars will go to surrounding neighborhoods creating additional problems,” he said.

The creation of the Al Fresco Glendale program is part of a more than $4 million economic recovery package approved by the Glendale City Council last month intended to provide relief to businesses impacted by COVID-19.

“It is still a long road to recovery for our business community, nearly 75% of which are considered small business,” Mayor Vrej Agajanian said. “It is the goal of the Glendale City Council to provide a variety of resources to assist all businesses impacted by this virus as we work towards a swift recovery.”

The Al Fresco Glendale program resulted from the efforts of the Business Recovery Task Force, a collaboration between the City and the local business community to develop solutions to common challenges businesses are facing because of COVID-19. The Al Fresco Program has been established to ensure businesses have the greatest ability to operate successfully through Phase 2 and 3 of the recovery process. Public health and safety will continue to be of the utmost importance as the Program is implemented.

Participating businesses must comply with all relevant ADA requirements as well as established re-opening protocols.

“It’s not as fast a process as most people think,” Ordubegian said. “There are so many things that need to get done.”

For program guidelines and information, visit GlendaleCA.gov/alfresco or contact the City of Glendale Business Concierge at (818) 548-2005.

  robin goldsworthy