City hosts scoping meeting for La Jolla reservoir project

The City of San Diego hosted a scoping meeting for the La Jolla View Reservoir project and its accompanying Environmental Impact Report (EIR) April 19 at La Jolla Rec Center. Scoping meetings inform the City about the scope of the draft EIR.

At the meeting, those interested in the project could view different maps, timelines and project descriptions, ask questions of the engineers involved, and submit comments. The project is located in La Jolla Natural Park above the La Jolla Country Club area.

Groundbreaking for the project is slated for late 2020, and the City will produce a draft EIR to outline how environmental impacts will be addressed.

Issues the City is already factoring into its EIR include: air quality, biological resources, cultural resources, energy, geology and soils, greenhouse gas emissions, health and safety, hydrology and water quality, land use, noise, paleontological resources, transportation and circulation, utilities and service systems, visual quality and neighborhood character.

The public review period for the draft EIR is expected to be this winter. A final EIR is set to be released in spring or summer 2019.

Additional comments must be received by May 7 and may be submitted by e-mail to DSDEAS@sandiego.gov, or by mail to: Mark Brunette, Senior Environmental Planner, City of San Diego, Development Services Department, 1222 First Ave., MS 501, San Diego, CA 92101.

Here’s a project breakdown

The La Jolla View Reservoir project will demolish and replace the existing 720,000 gallon La Jolla View Reservoir, an above-ground water storage tank (built in 1949) located in the La Jolla Natural Park, also off Encelia Drive in the Country Club area.

According to the City description, a new 3.1 million gallon underground reservoir will go in its place, which will be located at a higher elevation within the park.

The project will restore the site back to its original topography and condition, and install 3,000 feet of 30-inch pipeline to connect the new reservoir to the City’s water distribution system.

The project will also demolish and remove the existing 990,000 gallon La Jolla Exchange Place Reservoir, located near the corner of Country Club Drive and Pepita Way. This partially above ground reservoir was built around 1909, and placed out of service in 2002.

The reservoir site will be back-filled and landscaped to blend in with the surroundings.

—For more information, including a video explaining the projects, visit sandiego.gov/cip/projectinfo/featuredprojects/ljreservoir