In December, La Jolla Parks and Beaches, Inc. heard from a landscape architect about plans to replace a historic belvedere at Windansea Beach.
A prioritized capital improvements and maintenance list for 2019 was also provided to the city by the advisory group.
Local landscape architect Jim Neri has worked on a number of coastal park improvement projects in La Jolla, including the recently completed Children’s Pool Plaza. 
Neri gave a brief presentation showing a diagram for proposed re-creation of a historic belvedere at WindanSea off Neptune Place near Rosemont Street. That structure was destroyed in the early ’80s. At that time, police said it appeared chains had been used by a vehicle to haul down the popular public shack structure.
“That belvedere was constructed around 1912,” said Neri pointing out the importance of such early public structures in La Jolla. “They are very small, very quaint, and have become touchstones for our community. A lot of people have used them to get out of the sun, for their beautiful views, or just as a favorite place. They’ve become destinations, as well as architectural features, along the coast.”
Belvederes, or gazebos, are roofed, open-sided galleries usually commanding fine viewpoints.
Neri said the intent is to rebuild the WindanSea belvedere in the same spot it was before. “Donors have stepped forward and we have the funding,” he said.
“Who is doing the building?,” asked LJPB president Ann Dynes.
“A licensed contractor on the City’s approved list,” answered Neri. “We don’t have a contractor in place yet. We’re not that far along.”
An audience member remarked that the old belvedere may have been taken down by neighbors who claimed it was problematic and was being used by gangs.
“How do we prevent the same neighbors from tearing it down again?,” asked LJPB board member Sally Miller.
“Some of those neighbors have moved on,” said Neri. “Hopefully, it won’t happen again.”
“It’s going to be a nice bit of shade on a street that has no shade,” said board member Melinda Merryweather, who’s spearheaded the belvedere’s re-creation.
Regarding the group’s capital improvements and maintenance list for 2019, Dynes said, “We’ve walked the coastline and looked at things, and we got suggestions this year for park improvements from both Bird Rock and Coast Walk.”
Noting Coast Walk improvements are “pretty noncontroversial,” Dynes added, “That path needs repairs. We’d also love to see Goldfish Point fixed up.”
The improvements list also includes: funds for La Jolla Cove Pavilion with construction starting in 2019, Scripps Park sidewalk repairs, Whale View Point shoreline enhancement, WindanSea storm drain repair, widening narrow sidewalks on Coast Boulevard, restoring an access ramp at Children’s Pool, replacing all trash can lids in Bird Rock oceanfront parks and outlooks, increasing trash collection at La Jolla Cove, and installing La Jolla-branded bicycle racks around town.
En otra acción:
• The plan group unanimously approved a request by La Jolla Kiwanis to host its 39th annual, 13.1-mile Half Marathon fundraiser Sunday, April 28 concluding in Ellen Browning Scripps Park. The race is the service club’s primary fundraiser, annually generating about $200,000 to benefit youth groups and other worthy causes. 
LJPB’s next meeting will be Monday, Jan. 28 at 4 p.m. at La Jolla Rec Center, 615 Prospect St.