The year 2006 was an exciting one for me personally, serving as San Diego’s first-ever Council President. But it was also exhilarating to see so much work done in La Jolla to beautify our neighborhoods and improve the quality of life in our community. Here are some of the projects we worked on last year:
Improving Public Safety: Our beach areas are safer today, due to the vigilance of our dedicated San Diego Police beach team officers who performed nightly patrols at Windansea Beach this year. We also saw additional enforcement this summer at La Jolla Shores as we continued our innovative program to monitor unauthorized surf camps and other commercial activity at the beach. This year we’ll improve public safety in the beach communities through increased lighting and neighborhood watch programs.
I was proud to support the La Jolla Sunrise Rotary fund-raising effort to renovate and improve Fire Station 13 on Nautilus Street, which begins construction this month. Thanks to the generosity of many La Jolla families, the Rotary Club has raised more than $300,000 for this worthwhile project to improve the living quarters of the men and women who serve and protect this community.
Smart, Community-Based Planning: For years, residents in La Jolla have dealt with the seasonal influx of tourists and the impact they have on the ability to park near homes and businesses. Thanks in large part to Promote La Jolla and active members of the community, we created a La Jolla Parking Management District, which allows residents to exercise local control over parking issues in all areas of La Jolla. This group consists of members of all of our community groups, an at-large resident and an at-large business owner. I look forward to working with this group to find community-based solutions that will benefit residents, merchants and visitors.
Perhaps the most exciting development of the year was the work done by the Bird Rock community to design a living document to define the ways La Jolla Boulevard will look and feel in the future. Local experts Michael Stepner and Howard Blackson led a series of community meetings to determine what neighbors and merchants want the area to look like. The design plan is almost complete, and will be reviewed by the City and ultimately the City Council this year.
Protecting our Beaches and Parks: La Jolla’s shoreline is one of its most defining assets, one I am proud to have protected this year through a series of projects and ordinances.
The renovation of two sewer pump stations helps protect our beaches from contamination by diverting wastewater. Since 2000, the city has dramatically decreased the number of sewage spills due to the aggressive upgrade and monitoring programs pushed by the City Council. Sewer pumps stations in La Jolla Shores, La Jolla Farms and Bird Rock were outfitted with larger and more secure storage systems, back-up generators and odor-control technology. In addition, the Sewer Pump Station 19 project in Bird Rock includes a lookout point on the coast and renovated stairs to the shoreline.
I was proud to support a group of local students called the “Robomasters” who created new signs for the tidal pools at La Jolla Cove. The signs announce that tidal pools are a natural resource and encourage visitors not to touch the wildlife within the pools.
All San Diego beaches and parks were protected this year by the new anti-smoking ordinance, which was also the first piece of legislation sponsored and passed by the City Council under our new form of government. I was proud to co-sponsor the ordinance, which will reduce litter and fire risk at our shoreline, neighborhood and open space parks throughout the city.
Street, Sidewalk and Landscape Improvements: Early in the year, we finished the La Jolla Village Drive widening project west of Interstate 5, adding new lanes, bike lanes and landscaping to improve traffic flow around UCSD. Also near UCSD, the City Council approved the creation of a Maintenance Assessment District (“MAD”) for North Torrey Pines Road to maintain the landscaped medians on the mesa.
My office partnered with the San Diego-Imperial Counties Labor Council to provide curb ramps for the disabled on Cliffridge Avenue near Torrey Pines Elementary School. This was another in a series of curb-cut projects in the First District, funded by the federal Community Development Block Grant program. Look for a dozen more in 2007.
In Bird Rock, we added landscaping to the roundabouts on La Jolla Boulevard and finalized plans for the completion of the rest of the traffic-calming elements on and around the boulevard.
We also broke ground on the newest utility undergrounding project for La Jolla, which will serve more than 350 families. Underground utility lines are safer for local residents, and bringing down poles and wires protects our beautiful view corridors.
I know 2007 will be another great year for La Jolla. I look forward to seeing you at one of our many community events this year.
” District 1 City Councilman and Council President Scott Peters contributes a monthly Council Corner column highlighting City Hall happenings pertinent to the community of La Jolla.