Money for La Jolla projects: San Diego City Council to vote on 2017 budget, June 13

The 2017 City of San Diego Budget details how various city funds will be spent in the next tax year, including the General Fund, which La Jollans pay into. The City Council will vote on the budget Monday, June 13, and if it passes, the budget takes effect July 1.

How much of the budget will be spent in La Jolla? La Jolla Light took a look and identified the projects earmarked for our community. Citywide services, such as police, firefighters, trash pickup, city personnel, the “Climate Action Plan” and others, are not listed here.

Cove Odor Mitigation

The 2017 proposed budget includes $72,000 for mitigating the stench at La Jolla Cove Bluffs. The money will be spent on non-personnel expenditures within the Park & Recreation Department for a bioactive spray that would eliminate the odor caused by marine animal waste on the bluffs. In theory, the funding would increase the spray application to three times per month.

Lifeguard Stations

The city anticipates it will spend $120,000 for the La Jolla Cove Lifeguard Station. This is a budget increase due to revised estimates. The city has already spent $1,679,131 on the facility, which is supposed to be finished by Fiscal Year 2016.

The La Jolla Shores Lifeguard Station has a $107,000 anticipated expenditure for ongoing mitigation issues. This project was finished in 2014 and provided an improved lifeguard station for the area. The total cost of this project ascends to $3,652,142.

The Children’s Pool Lifeguard Station is regarded in the 2016 summary as one of the accomplishments of the past budget year. However, only 98 percent of the construction is complete. An extra $115,000 of unidentified funding is included in the 2017 budget, but it doesn’t detail when the funds would be spent.

Arts and Culture

The Theater & Arts Foundation of San Diego County/La Jolla Playhouse will receive $501,560 for 2017 (that’s $86,955 up from 2016). It’s three percent of the Playhouse’s operating annual income.

The 2017 allocation for La Jolla Music Society is $244,286 (that’s $31,665 more than in 2016).

The Athenaeum Music & Arts Library will receive $106,152 (that’s $33,818 more than 2016). La Jolla Historical Society will receive $85,006 for 2017 (that’s $27,814 more than in 2016). The La Jolla Symphony & Chorus will receive $54,335 (that’s $15,198 more than 2016).

La Jolla Mesa Drive Sidewalk

The construction of a new sidewalk at La Jolla Mesa Drive, south of Deer Hill Court and north of Baja Mar, is projected to start in 2017. The total cost of the project will be $826,000. The city has sepent $298,037 already, and has $537,963 in funding from past budgets to spend. No more funding is projected for the La Jolla Mesa Sidewalk in the 2017 budget.

Torrey Pines Road Improvements

Phase 2 of the Torrey Pines Road Improvement Plan would provide an additional path of travel for pedestrians on the south side of Torrey Pines Road between Hillside Drive and Amalfi Street; a pedestrian crossing at Torrey Pines Road west of Princess Drive; buffered bike lanes along Torrey Pines Road from La Jolla Shores Drive to Prospect Street; and a gateway into the La Jolla Village area via a painted, stamped, asphalt median between Roseland Drive and Hillside Drive. $1.3 million is included in the 2017 budget to fund this project. Construction is anticipated for 2018.

Water Pipelines

The city will ultimately spend $8,280,800 to change the water pipelines around La Jolla Scenic Drive. The current 6-inch, 8-inch and 12-inch pipelines will be replaced with 16-inch pipelines that meet fire flow requirements. Construction is expected to start in 2016 and end in 2017. For the 2017 budget, however, $4,832,598 is dedicated to the project.

The budget also earmarks $1.5 million for the Alvarado Pipeline Extension Project. This plan, still in the design stage, is driven by the need to provide redundant transmission to the coastal zones of La Jolla and Pacific Beach. Funding for this project would increase in the next year, up to a total estimated cost of $47,769,986.

Another $1.5 million is allocated for the Morena Pipeline, with similar purposes.

Coast Boulevard Improvements

This project, scheduled to begin in Fiscal Year 2017, provides for the design and construction of widened walkways, enhanced paving, slope protection, sea walls, curb and street paving, and various improvements like bollards, railings and landscape along Coast Boulevard in the vicinity of Children’s Pool from the lifeguard tower to Jenner Street. The city has a $482,317 budget from previous years for this project, and although another $66,000 in funding is reflected in the document, there is no additional money allocated for the project in the 2017 budget.

Utilities Undergrounding

Two budget lines were allocated for utilities undergrounding.

Project Block 1M, with an estimated cost of $396,000, covers the La Jolla Country Club and the areas west of Nautilus Street and east of Fay Avenue. Contruction is projected to start June 19, 2016 and will end in May 30, 2020.

Project Block 1M1 covers the Muirlands area south and east of Nautilus Street. With a budget of $356,400, its starting date is Jan. 22, 2017. To access more information and a map of the undergrounding areas, visit sandiego.gov/undergrounding/updates

In the May modification of this budget, these lines were located under “bikeway striping improvements.” City officials confirmed that this allocation was a mistake, and the funds are indeed for undergrounding the utilities. Bike striping might be considered after the undergrounding, but it’s not confirmed that it will happen.

Reservoirs

$500,000 in extra costs for the La Jolla View Reservoir improvement plan is budgeted for 2017. This project will replace the existing reservoir to improve water quality.

Scripps Park

$700,000 in additional funds are allocated for the comfort station replacement in Ellen Browning Scripps Park adjacent to La Jolla Cove.

More Rec Center

The city intends to increase hours at city recreation centers (included the La Jolla Rec Center), from 45 to 60 hours per week at a total cost of $473,860.

Merchants Association

La Jolla Village Merchants Association had a budget of $46,900 for 2015. However, in the 2017 proposed budget, funding for 2016 or 2017 isn’t listed.

Torrey Pines Kiwanis Foundation

$41,477 is earmarked for the Torrey Pines Kiwanis Foundation.

Want to learn more? Find the 2017 proposed city budget at sandiego.gov/fm/proposed