La Jolla MAD Progress Report: More improvements coming to The Village

GUEST COMMENTARY:

La Jolla’s Maintenance Assessment District (MAD) vendors continue the cycle of regular maintenance. Sidewalk power washing will be performed quarterly in Zone 1 of The Village. Landscape maintenance will cycle through the entire Village every three weeks. And, litter control occurs daily.

During February 2020, MAD’s sidewalk power washing vendor completed a second power washing of sidewalks on Prospect Street, Girard Avenue and Wall Street in La Jolla.

MAD’s landscape services vendor provided tree and bush trimming throughout The Village. One specific focus for this vendor is cleanup of leaves, palm fronds and other organics that drop from trees and collect on sidewalks and in gutters. MAD is also working with this vendor to enhance tree wells on Prospect and Girard. That work should start before the end of March.

MAD’s litter control vendor continued its daily patrol of The Village to locate and remove loose litter and trash to ensure no overflowing trash receptacles. That same vendor provided the repainting of concrete trash receptacles (36 have been repainted and painting the remainder is scheduled soon.)

MAD has made progress on the trash dumpster front. We have communicated with merchants about more frequent trash pickup and better maintenance of the dumpster locations. So far, the improvements are noticeable.

MAD has contacted SDG&E and will coordinate with them to provide paint and direction for a MAD vendor to paint 12 transformer boxes and protective steel bollards. This work will start March 18.

At Enhance La Jolla’s board meeting, Feb. 13, the board approved MAD to consider plans for refinishing wood benches and increasing the frequency of sidewalk power washing.

MAD has developed a pilot plan for refinishing wood benches. Initially, 25-30 benches will be refinished on Prospect, Girard and Wall. Look for this work to start by April 1.

MAD will implement a plan to increase the frequency of sidewalk power washing by adding one weekly work shift to coincide with the start of the summer tourist season, sometime in May.

Finally, MAD is coordinating with the Streetscape Plan architects to place some sidewalk planters along Girard where damaged planters have been removed. MAD will ensure that these replacement planters will be consistent with existing planters and the ultimate Village Streetscape Plan.

• ALERT: We have a graffiti tagger in The Village. Please notify MAD of any graffiti sightings; MAD will try and remove or repaint these locations as quickly as possible.

As always, your input, comments and concerns are welcome. You can contact La Jolla’s Maintenance Assessment District (MAD) by e-mail: manager@enhancelajolla.org or (858) 444-5892 and visit enhancelajolla.org