La Jolla Shores board prepares to launch Phase 2 of Pottery Canyon cleanup

Phase 2 of the La Jolla Shores Association’s effort to clean up Pottery Canyon got a foundation June 8 when the LJSA board voted to create a working group to review next steps and come up with a plan to implement them.

Phase 1 was a preliminary cleanup of dead trees and brush believed to pose a fire hazard in Pottery Canyon, a natural park within La Jolla Shores.

Claudia Baranowski, a Shores resident who has shepherded the Pottery Canyon cleanup effort since September 2020, said the second phase would include removal of dead wood, as recommended by the city of San Diego, and restoration planting in certain areas that have been cleared and other areas that lack vegetation.

The total cost for Phase 2 is $25,000, she said, and the work would proceed under the nonprofit San Diego Canyonlands, which has a right-of-entry permit to work on San Diego parklands.

LJSA would have to raise $20,000 by Nov. 1 so the work could be completed by March 1 in accord with the gnatcatcher nesting season.

A motion to form the working group to review the plan, determine a fundraising strategy and submit a proposal next month passed unanimously.

Other LJSA news

The La Jolla Shores Association meets June 8 on Zoom.

(Ashley Mackin-Solomon)

Meet Your Neighbor: The board introduced a “Meet Your Neighbor” feature to its meetings to help introduce the board and community to local businesses. The inaugural participant was Adam Lund, general manager of Hotel La Jolla.

“As the general manager, I have a team at the hotel, and it is very important for me to have the team be part of the community,” Lund said.

Noting that 2022 is the hotel’s 50th anniversary, Lund added that “this year we want to celebrate the past, present and future of this beautiful icon. … I feel strongly that everyone has a story from the restaurant or the 11th floor [the former Elario’s jazz bar], and we’re excited about creating new memories.”

The hotel at 7955 La Jolla Shores Drive, which opened in 1972 as the Summerhouse Inn, is part of the Curio Collection by Hilton. A full-property remodel, with an expected start in the first quarter of next year and completion by summer 2023, will redo the 11th floor, give a new concept to the Cusp restaurant and bar, create new room packages with new beds, linens and in-room amenities, revamp the lobby and pool area, and add a market and boardrooms.

Any business that wants to be included in the monthly Meet Your Neighbor can contact LJSA President Janie Emerson at LJSA.org@gmail.com.

Get It Done addition: Matt Griffith, representing the office of San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria, said a new option will be added to the city’s Get It Done app this summer to address parks and recreation issues.

The expansion will allow complaint reports to be lodged with the city Parks & Recreation Department.

“We’re really excited about that because there have been many issues throughout our parks and restrooms. Now the park and recreation team will be able to see that directly and respond more quickly,” Griffith said.

Recently, La Jolla Shores’ Kellogg Park has drawn complaints about excessive trash and of beach equipment being left behind and unattended to.

If “hot spots” of repeated problems emerge, the Parks & Recreation Department would address them accordingly, Griffith said.

Lifeguard staffing: San Diego Fire-Rescue Department Lt. Lonnie Stephens said the plan is to start “full summer staffing” on Friday, June 17, with all towers at full capacity.

“We are looking toward the Fourth of July in terms of staffing measures because it basically is a [four-day] weekend,” he said.

Next meeting: The La Jolla Shores Association next meets at 6 p.m. Wednesday, July 13, online. Learn more at lajollashoresassociation.org. ◆