The Bird Rock Community Council has secured a $25,000 grant to assist fund three ongoing initiatives, jump-starting a marketing campaign to boost sufficient money to hold the initiatives to completion.
The initiatives are meant to:
• Improve visibility and security on La Jolla Boulevard by including extra lights to options like road timber
• Replace the dated and typically malfunctioning pedestrian-activated crossing indicators on La Jolla Boulevard
• Make and set up neighborhood indicators on La Jolla Boulevard consisting of small boulders adorned with pelican sculptures and/or the phrases “Bird Rock”
BRCC President Joe Terry mentioned on the group’s assembly Feb. 6 that the $25,000 got here from a Neighborhood Reinvestment Program grant from the workplace of San Diego County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer, whose District 3 consists of La Jolla. The grant was accepted by the Board of Supervisors final month.
Terry mentioned the grant could possibly be a “small down payment” to get the three initiatives began. The initiatives’ complete cost wasn’t instantly clear.
The Community Council additionally submitted a request to the county for a $111,000 Community Enhancement Program grant. A choice on that grant is pending.
BRCC Vice President Craig Bender mentioned “we still have a long way to go in terms of fundraising, but if we get the $111,000, it will get us a little bit farther.”
Aurora Livingston, representing the workplace of state Sen. Catherine Blakespear (D-Encinitas), inspired the council to pursue grants from the state as nicely.
“The state provides funding for programs in the community, so the senator [whose 38th District includes La Jolla] is open to taking any proposals of community projects you may have,” Livingston mentioned in the course of the Feb. 6 assembly. “Because you have already submitted grants for various community improvement projects … you could probably send them our way. We cannot guarantee funding or how much … but this is another opportunity for your community to seek funding for your projects.”
In May, BRCC made a $50,000 price range request to the workplace of state Assemblywoman Tasha Boerner (D-Encinitas), whose 77th District consists of La Jolla, to assist change the malfunctioning pedestrian crossing indicators. But no money was supplied.
An merchandise within the Bird Rock Maintenance Assessment District price range for $35,000 for lighting and signage might complement any grants the Community Council receives.
The initiatives
Some blocks of La Jolla Boulevard have few or no San Diego metropolis streetlights, so illuminating road timber is being thought of to supply extra gentle.
(Ashley Mackin-Solomon)
Lighting: “We have discovered that under certain circumstances, the city [of San Diego] would approve adding lights to the trees,” Terry mentioned. “Should the BRCC decide to put lights in the trees, we want them to be aesthetically pleasing by day and night and neither harm the trees nor substantially increase the cost of maintaining healthy trees.”
Ideas being thought of embrace wrapping lights across the tree trunks or including uplighting to tree wells. An arborist might be concerned when concepts are extra fleshed out, Bender mentioned.
“Based on what information we collect, we will share some options with the community and make a decision on how to move forward,” Terry mentioned.
Pedestrian crossing indicators: “We have asked the city, the county and the state … to replace the current crossing signals with more effective, easier-to-see signals,” Terry mentioned.
The substitute indicators “would be a horizontal, rapid-flashing beacon system … which are the same as the city has installed elsewhere on La Jolla Boulevard,” Terry mentioned. “Those signals would be more visible and increase pedestrian safety. We will also ask the state to support this project.”
The current indicators — which have flashing lights that when activated point out a pedestrian wish to cross — are greater than 15 years old, “are in constant need of repair and are much less effective in getting the attention of drivers on La Jolla Boulevard than modern signals would be,” Terry mentioned beforehand.
A conceptual rendering by La Jolla urbanist Trace Wilson in 2022 reveals a potential design for neighborhood indicators to be placed on La Jolla Boulevard.
(File)
Signs: Terry mentioned the board has seen the latest renderings for boulder-and-bird sculptures that could possibly be placed on the La Jolla Boulevard median. The venture is being shepherded by La Jolla architect and urbanist Trace Wilson.
Terry mentioned the renderings embrace 4 choices:
• The unique idea to place the sculptures at two roundabouts on La Jolla Boulevard to bookend the business district
• A single monument with the phrases “Bird Rock” on the median close to the center of the 5600 block of La Jolla Boulevard
• Two “Bird Rock” monuments to bookend the business district
• Some mixture
The renderings are anticipated to be offered publicly on the subsequent BRCC assembly.
Bender mentioned the board is open to fundraising concepts and taking volunteers to assist execute the initiatives. “We need all the help we can get,” he mentioned. “It’s going to take a village to uplift Bird Rock.”
Those with questions or feedback in regards to the initiatives can e-mail [email protected].
Other BRCC information
Police presence: During the assembly’s public remark interval, on which no actions are taken, resident Don Schmidt mentioned representatives of the San Diego Police Department ought to attend BRCC conferences to offer reviews.
“Our community relations officer used to come once a year but would go to other meetings every month,” Schmidt mentioned.
He urged a gathering be devoted to police reviews someday in coming months.
Coastal overlooks: Schmidt, who’s a member of the BRCC’s Coastal Overlooks Committee, mentioned the group is on the lookout for extra volunteers.
“I don’t know how we get more community engagement, and I know everyone is busy, but if more people could give a few hours a month [to volunteering], we would be much better off,” he mentioned.
The Coastal Overlooks Committee shaped in 2018 and has made small aesthetic adjustments to a number of the overlooks and consider areas in Bird Rock.
Next assembly: The Bird Rock Community Council subsequent meets at 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 5, at Bird Rock Elementary School, 5371 La Jolla Hermosa Ave., with restricted Zoom access. Learn extra at birdrockcc.org. ◆
