Let there be light: From the Council President

By Scott Peters

City Council President

La Jolla features some of San Diego’s most beautiful views and valuable real estate. Our community is also home to some of the oldest infrastructure in the City. Upgrading and replacing our street and neighborhood infrastructure is one of my highest priorities for La Jolla.

For years, the street lights along Prospect Street and La Jolla Boulevard have operated like a string of holiday lights - when one light burns out, the entire string goes dark. These “series style” lights date back to the 1920’s and are some of the most problematic in the City.

This is a significant safety issue for our community. Residents, visitors and merchants rely on street lights to safely navigate streets and sidewalks in the Village. Luckily, help is on the way.

Last month, the City Council approved a project to upgrade 19,450 feet of street light circuit on Prospect Street between Torrey Pines Road and La Jolla Boulevard. The project includes new underground lines and fixtures for 87 street lights. The project is in the design phase, and should be complete by fall of this year. Utilities work will happen during the day, and should have little or no impact on local businesses.

This important project could not have happened without the help of community activists, including Deborah Marengo and Promote La Jolla, our local Business Improvement District. My thanks go out to all those who helped make this upgrade a reality, and to everyone in La Jolla for your patience and support.

Water Department Flexes Its Power

The City’s Water Department last month was recognized with a statewide “Flex Your Power” award for energy efficiency. Thanks to a public education and outreach campaign, the City created a “conservation ethic,” which allowed us to conserve 30,000 acre feet of water per year. That’s 13 percent of the city’s total water use. As a result, the City also saved more than two million kilowatt hours of electricity, and over $190,000.

In addition to residential conservation, the City has adopted a variety of regulations aimed at reducing water use in commercial development and on public lands. The City’s gray water system (the purple pipes you see around town) reduces our reliance on fresh water imported from outside the county by using recycled wastewater for landscaping and irrigation.

None of this would be possible without you, of course. You have made water conservation a way of life in San Diego. By shutting off the water while brushing teeth and washing dishes, investing in water-wise toilets and washing machines, and using less water-intensive landscaping in your homes, you help San Diego flex its power!

For more information on how to be water-wise, visit the City’s Web site, www.sandiego.gov/water/conservation.