Robert Tripp Jackson has no idea how many thousands of vehicles pass by the medians at Point Loma’s Cañon Street and Catalina Boulevard every week, but he figures the total’s way up there. The oft-visited Point Loma Nazarene University, Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery and Cabrillo National Monument are within shouting distance of the intersection in the Peninsula’s west-central area, and that doesn’t count the hundreds of motorists on their way to other parts of Point Loma and beyond. Now, thanks to a minor stroke of genius and the city’s bendable ear, those drivers stand to benefit from a civic improvement that some residents thought might never see the light of day — much less done in record time once it finally got under way. At 11 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 27, the Point Loma Association will stage a dedication and ribbon-cutting at the medians to mark last year’s spit-shine and to acknowledge the major players in the beautification project. Drought-tolerant plants, beauty bark and a solid partnership with the city mark this project, which Jackson spearheaded last spring after taking in the drab expanse once too often. Five months later, he said, the project was completed. “I think the hardest thing,” Jackson said, “was to find an architect who would draw a plan for us on a volunteer level.” Dan Johnston, principal at Architect J. A., Inc., contributed the plan. Concrete contractor Jason St. Pierre removed 175,000 pounds of asphalt and installed a concrete border along the existing sidewalks. Total Green Landscape added weed-killing mulch and drought-resistant plants like chopsticks, deer grass and New Zealand red flax. The $22,000 project price tag includes a $6,000 grant from San Diego County Supervisor Greg Cox’s office, $2,500 from Point Loma Nazarene University and other donations from several individuals and families. Members of the Point Loma Association will be responsible for future maintenance. Cox is scheduled to attend the Jan. 27 dedication. Jackson, a Point Loma Association board member and a real estate salesman with the Peninsula’s Pacific Sotheby’s Realty, said some residents voiced skepticism about the completion of the project — a skepticism that may have been matched by that of the city. “I would talk to people around these medians,” Jackson said, “and a lot of them never thought it would happen. I think that people thought to get the city to go along with this was an impossible task. The city didn’t understand. They’re not usually used to dealing with people that are trying to beautify [city] property. But once they listened to us, they thought, ‘You’re doing us a favor.’” A few more meetings with the city’s development services department met with quick success and a seamless itinerary. “You’re going into a very nice area of the neighborhood,” Jackson said, “a wooded area, when you pass by those medians. Once you realize what they were and what they are now, it’s made a day-and-night difference. I think it’s a real added quality to such an important intersection.” The Point Loma Association, founded in 1961, is a 700-member organization dedicated to the peninsula’s maintenance and beautification. In addition to its landscaping efforts, it sponsored the 2003 Concert Series at the Little League field and has helped support the Fourth of July fireworks celebrations. It has bestowed beautification awards to deserving homes and has represented its members in project recommendations to the city.
