Beautification efforts coming from Parks & Beaches

It is part of La Jolla Parks & Beaches (LJP&B) advisory group’s mission to enhance La Jolla’s parks and beaches. To that end, four projects are coming forward in the next few months to spruce up little pockets of La Jolla with cosmetic changes.

After agreeing to take on a landscaping intern during the June meeting, LJP&B at its July 25 meeting, presented three projects for him to carry out. The intern was not identified, but he comes to La Jolla via the German Chamber of Commerce.

Whale View Point Shoreline Enhancement project organizer Ann Dynes, who will serve as a liaison between LJP&B and the intern during his August and September stay, said his assignments will include: planning for a degraded plant bed, vegetating a lookout off La Jolla Shores Drive and updating a tree inventory.

As part of her enhancement projects, Dynes started clearing out an overgrown plot of land, and now the project needs completing and re-vegetating. She explained, “We cleared out a lot of the invasive plants in the storm drain on the 300 block, and now we can see where the drain is and where the water goes, but we still need to take out the roots so those plants don’t grow back. One of the projects we want him to do is to beautify that patch.” The plan would be left to the intern.

Dynes added, “There is a surfer’s lookout on La Jolla Shores Lane off La Jolla Shores Drive that used to have some vegetation, which has since gone to weeds. We’ve secured the water and the funding to beautify that little stretch. We just need him to design and carry out the work.

“Finally, there is a heritage tree inventory as part of the Cultural Landscape Survey and we are going to see if he can do that.” The survey is intended to contribute to the La Jolla Community Plan under “community character” as a list of sites that need protecting. Currently a volume of more than 300 pages, it was collected in 2003, but has been shelved ever since. The inventory within the survey would document historic trees in La Jolla.

The board approved the three projects unanimously.

Independent of the German intern’s work, as a purely cosmetic change, the board approved a fourth project to replace bright blue trashcan lids with more neutral, sand-colored ones. At the meeting, Dynes provided an example of the replacement lids. “I think everyone agrees this will be a nicer look; more natural,” she said. “The original bid was almost $6,000 but I found another vendor who quoted us $2,994, and that includes 75 lids, installation and the chain that keeps the lid affixed to the can.”

Before they are installed, Dynes said she needs to do additional outreach, and would report back with updates as soon as they are available.

In other LJP&B news

Concours 2017 gets green light: In a brief discussion about the ongoing value of the annual Concours d’Elegance car show, La Jolla Historical Society executive director Health Fox urged LJP&B to support the 2017 event. A fundraiser for Historical Society and the Monarch School, the car show uses Scripps Park to showcase classic automobiles in a ticketed event, and lines the streets with cars for free public viewing.

During the 2016 event, ticket-buyers had the option to enter a promo code to divert a portion of ticket sales to local charities. With LJP&B being one of them, Fox presented a check to the board from the 2016 event of $550. “We are very happy we could share some of these proceeds with you, we very much value what you do for the community,” he said.

With no changes from previous years cited, the board voted to support the 2017 La Jolla Concours d’Elegance.

Bylaws approved: After months of debate, discussion, nitpicking and revisions, the board OK’ed revisions to its bylaws, in conformance with city guidelines. LJP&B chair Dan Allen reported that all of the critical issues have been addressed. Noting the bylaws could be amended or updated at any time, he said the final version is “silent on the issue” of term limits, perhaps the most controversial topic of past discussions.

Broken stairs funding: LJP&B member Nancy Linck, who chaired a sub-committee to investigate replacement of the obliterated beach access stairs at 100 Coast Blvd., joyfully announced funding had been identified to replace the stairs. Destroyed during recent winter storms, the board was originally told the re-instatement could take years.

Linck then deferred to Justin Garver, a representative for City Council President Sherri Lightner, who said the city is in the process of transferring the funds. “We don’t know when the transfer will go through,” he said. “But once it does, a contractor will be brought on board and the design process would be the first step. We need to get further into the design process before a timeline could be established.”

Future topics: Judy Adams Halter, a LJP&B member and head of the project to replace the La Jolla Cove restroom facility, said she hopes the city-approved architects hired for the project would be on hand to speak at the Sept. 26 meeting. At that time, any updates to the construction schedule, designs and costs would be provided.

— LJP&B next meets 4:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 22 at La Jolla Rec Center, 615 Prospect St. lajollaparksandbeaches.org