Eyes on the Street: Glendora Village Parklets

The Winter Holidays are looming near, and Downtown Glendora has become a nice outdoor hangout for visiting families in the East SGV. More improvements are coming this Spring.

In addition to the dining decks, lounge seating, and traffic barriers that were installed throughout the pandemic (with assistance from Active SGV and the SGVCOG) the parklets’ centerpiece, Meda Avenue, will be stepped up soon. City officials say Meda Ave and its adjoining bus plaza will receive new shade sails, lighting, furniture, games, and landscaping in the early months of 2023.

Like in other downtowns/uptowns/old towns, these outdoor pieces have become assets for placemaking on Glendora Avenue. Assistant City Manager Moises Lopez offers a familiar refrain. “Coming out of the pandemic, we have this incessant desire to reconnect as community members and family members, as friends in common open spaces. We're trying to create that environment where people can do that safely.”

The city’s Transportation Manager, Steven Mateer, tells SBLA the seven permanent, city-owned parklets in the Village have been maintained due to popular demand. It’s the city-owned part that makes them so nice, according to Mateer.

“Most of our cities give the space away to restaurants. We actually own everything and permit what can be used on the decks [...] Our parklets are uniform. They're of a high quality. Some cities you go to, some are really great, some are falling apart. Ours are made by a company from Norway. They are meant to be outside and to be used a lot, and so they've been out for a year and we've had no issues. The wood's not rotting and warping, metal is still there.”

Mateer adds that the locals have taken good care of the parklets too. “One of the interesting things is one of our property owners put out cornhole and Jenga [games], they've been out here for about eight, nine months and nothing's walked off, which has been fantastic to see. One of the things I love about Glendora is there's a ton of pride and ownership in the city.”

The Village Parklets are part of the city’s broader People Movement Project to connect the town with active transportation infrastructure (including the San Dimas Wash Greenway). Mateer says there is new bike parking in the Village too.

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