For about 11 years, Ed Streicher and a team of Point Loma Association (PLA) volunteers have been going the extra mile to keep the gateway to Point Loma at Nimitz and Sunset Cliffs boulevards looking clean by removing litter and policing the area. The PLA is a highly organized and highly visible group of residents and business owners dedicated to beautifying Point Loma. Now, thanks to about $15,000 in development funds from the office of San Diego County Supervisor Greg Cox, the PLA is finally getting some much-needed improvements along a median of the intersection that Streicher and the association have long envisioned. The upgrade includes trees, agave plants, irrigation and additional landscaping mostly donated from local community members. “The city’s people are able to do as much as they do given the budgetary problems the city is facing,” Streicher said. “But I’m delighted that a group of … members of the PLA decided on taking it to the next level.” But the work isn’t over. The Point Loma Association is now looking for added donations to offset future maintenance costs, said PLA President-Elect Cecilia Carrick. Carrick, along with PLA member Kerri DeRosier and a slew of volunteers, have organized the campaign to finish the median. The project has been on the table for years, but lack of city support had stalled it — until now. “The Point Loma Association is stepping up to the plate to do the things the city has traditionally done, but we need help. So we’re going to try and make it work and hopefully everybody will step up to the plate,” Carrick said. While the PLA seeks donations, groups of volunteers are donating work and materials to augment the current phase of the estimated $30,000 project. Blue agaves, a few Torrey Pines and some drought-tolerant vegetation will line one of the medians at the well-traveled entrance to Point Loma, said landscape architect Marty Schmidt. Schmidt originally designed the concept several years ago. “The thing to think about is when this grows, when the pines grow and the blue agaves grow, there’s going to be a strong texture, color contrast. It’s going to be very dynamic,” Schmidt said. “It’s on the scenic route through coastal San Diego and it deserves to be something special with a great look and quality.” The PLA has been involved with community projects since first forming as Point Loma Village Beautiful in the 1960s. The organization has grown into a stewardship of community organizers. Neighbors interested in donating to the PLA for the median project can do so by contacting the group at [email protected].