Why Glendale

Top 10 Reasons Why Google Fiber Makes Sense in Glendale

We think the City of Glendale is a perfect match for Google’s fiber network. Many other cities will be applying to be part of the fiber network, but we feel that Glendale offers a unique combination of benefits that can’t be matched! Have a look and tell us what you think (and don’t forget to nominate Glendale after you’ve finished reading!)

1. Location, Location, Location.

Step outside for a minute and take it all in. The weather is incredible year round; Glendale enjoys mild summers and winters alike with an average variance of less than 20 degrees between our winter and summer high temperatures. Glendale’s weather is calm in the winter, with pleasant highs in the mid-60’s and lows in the upper-40’s. Glendale’s summer is spectacular come summer time, with average highs in the mid-80s. The air quality in Glendale is also amazing thanks to the Fresh Air Ordinance.

Glendale has several districts with their own unique character. The business district houses several large businesses and financial institutions (including the US headquarters for Nestle). Smaller districts, like Montrose, offer a slower small-town feel. Glendale is strategically located near several major freeways and is a hub for many other surrounding cities.

2. City Support

Our City has a long-standing history of supporting any measure or initiative which helps our community. The City of Glendale supports the pursuit of Google fiber for the City because elected officials and City staff alike believe that high-speed fiber to the home will provide a tremendous benefit to our residents. In keeping with our commitment to the betterment of our residents, the City of Glendale and the Glendale City Council would do everything reasonable to smooth the implementation.

The collective support of city staff, elected, and city residents will ensure that Google fiber arrives in Glendale quickly and efficiently.

3. Relationship With Entertainment Industry

Several world-renowned animation studios call Glendale home. Disney Imagineering and Dreamworks both operate in Glendale. Producers have longed recognized Glendale as a film friendly City and use us as a location for filming many of your favorite movies and TV shows. Google fiber would free Glendale’s animations studios to use it in new and creative ways  to develop next generation applications and services.

Glendale is also home to a large freelancing community within the entertainment industry. Imagine the traffic and parking reduction (not to mention less air pollution)  if our substantial freelancing community had the bandwidth necessary to conduct all of its work from homes within Glendale.

4. Excellent Schools and Libraries

Glendale is home to Glendale Community College (enrollment 20,000+) and a full service public library system with eight locations (including the stunning Brand Library & Art Center). Glendale’s primary school system is governed by the Glendale Unified School District and features numerous Blue Ribbon schools noted for excellence in academics and Clark Magnet School for outstanding students in the areas of math and science.

5. Three Area Hospitals

Glendale residents have the benefit of three excellent hospital facilities. The newly renovated Glendale Adventist Hospital is located centrally in Glendale and serves thousands of patients in Glendale and surrounding communities. As a Primary Stroke Center, Glendale Adventist is an area leading hospital in stroke treatment. South Glendale is home to Glendale Memorial Hospital which has been serving the residents of Glendale for over 80 years. The Glendale Memorial Heart Center is nationally recognized as a premier cardiac care facility. Verdugo Hills Hospital is located in northern Glendale and services residents of Glendale, La Crescenta, La Canada, and other surrounding communities. Verdugo Hills Hospital’s innovative use of TeleMedicine is precisely the type of service which would see substantial benefits from Google’s high-speed fiber network.

6. Commitment to Arts & Culture

Glendale is home to several theaters and museums. The Alex Theatre is  the centerpiece of the City’s arts, culture and community programming with roughly 250 events and over 130,000 patrons per year. The Brand Library and Art Center is one of Southern California’s most popular cultural attractions. Brand features an art and music library, a recital hall, art galleries, and a park with a Japanese Tea House for visitors to enjoy.

See Glendale Arts for more information.

7. Previous Experience

This wouldn’t be the first time Glendale has entered into an agreement with an Internet Service Provider (ISP) to lay fiber. In fact, the City of Glendale just recently concluded a joint venture with a telecom provider to expedite new installations. Just as we have in the past, Glendale will be fully committed to the betterment of our community by eliminating un-necessary “red tape” and bureaucracy.

8. We Have the Power (literally)

The City of Glendale is fortunate to own its own water and power utilities operated by the City of Glendale Water and Power Department. This means that we own and know the location of every pole and conduit throughout the City. Such knowledge (not to mention access) would be invaluable in implementing an ambitions large-scale fiber network project.

Glendale Water and Power one of only 100 utilities throughout the country to receiving federal funding for a Smart Grid implementation. Glendale Water and Power received $20m in federal funding to implement 90,000 electric smart meters and 30,000 water smart meters for the entire Glendale service area. The Smart Grid implementation is scheduled for release in 2010.

Glendale Water and Power is currently evaluating Google Power Meter as an adjunct utility service.

9. Business and Retail Friendly

Glendale has a regional reputation for being very business-friendly. Our attitude towards business development has attracted the attention of many businesses, big and small. Nestle’s US headquarters are located in Glendale, as is the International House of Pancake’s (IHOP) global headquarters.

Of course all work and no play makes for a dull community. Glendale is also a major retail attraction with several venues, including the Americana at Brand, Brand Boulevard of Cars, Glendale Galleria, and Historic Old Town Montrose (amongst many others).

Learn more about business services in Glendale.

10. Innovative One-Stop Permit Services Center

Glendale’s Permit Services Center is where the rubber hits the road for land development within one of the largest cities in all of Los Angeles County. For the past decade, construction ranging from modest dwellings to massive high-rise office and hotel towers has characterized the city’s development, which was valued at approximately $1.5 billion. To facilitate such development, Glendale recently began efforts to replace its permit management system with a new city-wide data management system. Customers will be able to submit applications on-line through the internet, as well as transfer construction drawings, specifications and contract documents in various electronic formats.

As part of the City’s desire to establish a truly sustainable community, countless vehicle trips to city hall will be eliminated by enabling electronic submission of information. Virtually immediate access to stores of permit data and archived blue prints will enhance the community’s ability to participate in the development process, resulting in a well-connected community. The high-speed capacity of Google’s fiber network will facilitate the transfer of large documents, detailed drawings and construction specifications. Google’s fiber network can be the thread that stitches the community even closer to City Hall.

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