LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE DISTRICT

The goal of the Landscape Maintenance District (LMD) is to provide maintenance and capital improvements to businesses and homeowners. This includes adding new lights, trees, and landscaped medians to El Cajon Blvd and surrounding side streets.

 

District Boundaries

The El Cajon Blvd. LMD, officially known as Mid-City Sub District #13, is comprised of 242 commercial parcels and 1,374 residential parcels. The southern boundary is Orange Avenue running from Interstate 805 to 54th St.. The northern boundary is Meade Avenue and it runs from (the street west of 33rd Place) to Fairmount Ave. turning north and then east again on Monroe Ave. until it terminates at 54th St.

The district is divided into zone 1 and zone 2. Zone 1 encompasses the western portion of the district and zone 2 the eastern portion with the border between the two on the eastern most side of 44th St. Each parcel is assessed on a linear frontage formula with commercial properties being assessed differently then residential properties. Commercial property assessment is based on boulevard improvements and whether the business fronts a median or not. Residential property assessment is based only on improvements to the side streets.

Click here to download a larger map

Background

Surveys
In January of 2000 the El Cajon Boulevard BIA sent out surveys to commercial and residential property owners to see if they would support the formation of a new landscape maintenance district. The survey outlined suggested improvements to El Cajon Blvd. and the adjacent side streets, asked if property owners would be willing to pay for such improvements, and proposed an area for improvements to be provided.136 surveys were returned.

Primary issues of concern listed by respondents were:

  • Lighting
  • Trees
  • Clean-up

 

Community Meetings

Two community meetings were held to focus the concept of an LMD and also to obtain community input as to the desired improvements within the LMD.

The dates of the meetings were:

  • February 15, 2000
  • March 28, 2000

The following comments summarize the community input received over the course of the community meetings:

  • More lighting along El Cajon Blvd., side streets, and alleys
  • Clean up of alleys and El Cajon Blvd.
  • Sidewalk repairs along El Cajon Blvd.

 

Petitions

In March of 2000 petitions were mailed to commercial and residential property owners outlining the proposed improvements and the estimated cost per linear foot. A copy of the petition is shown in Figure 3. Comments that frequently came up are listed below.

  • More lighting, trees, and maintenance of trees and streets
  • Street clean up and alley clean
  • Taxes should already cover these improvements

Improvements

1. Lighting
-Maintain double acorn, or double candlestick, lighting along El Cajon Blvd. from 805 to 54th St.
-Maintain single acorn, or single candlestick, lighting along all the side streets including Trojan Ave. and (the names of the two smaller streets)
An estimated 62 new double acorn lights will be installed and 483 single acorn lights. The installation costs are proposed to come from other sources.


2. Trees
-Infill trees into blocks along El Cajon Blvd. with a goal of five trees per block on average
-Plant among the categories of trees approved for El Cajon Blvd., including Jacaranda, Podocarpus, Eucalyptus, and the Queen Palm

3. Medians
The Medians along El Cajon Blvd. are decorative elements that are essentially all constructed from 805 to 44th St.. As with the trees and lights, medians are an element of unification not just for this stretch of El Cajon Blvd. but also from Park Blvd. to 805 as well.

4. Transit Station (special project)
The proposed transit station for El Cajon Blvd., above the I-15 freeway, is a special project which will require not just support from this new landscape maintenance district, but also from many of the surrounding communities as well. The money assessed will go towards cleaning of this transit station as well as landscaping maintenance costs.

5. Other areas of potential involvement
There are also proposed categories for sidewalk landscaping as well as sidewalk improvements and holiday decor, but these are categories which will be used only when there is an excess of funds.

6. Sidewalk repairs:
Sidewalk repairs in residential areas will also be addressed after lights, trees, and medians are maintained.

Administration, Assessment, and Timing

1. Administration
The City of San Diego's Park and Recreation Department will be responsible for maintenance of many of the proposed improvements. An oversight committee composed of residential and commercial property owners will help administer the projected LMD plan with the support of the El Cajon Blvd. BIA.


2. Assessment
There are three categories of assessment in this new LMD area. Commercial property owners whose property fronts a median will pay a rate of up to 9 dollars a linear foot. Commercial property owners without a median will pay up to 6 dollars per linear foot. Residential property owners will pay up to .64 dollars per linear foot. All assessments are collected annually.

3. Timing
This plan details a program that may take as long as fifteen to twenty years or more to implement. The reason for this is that all of the capital costs will be funded with money outside the fees associated with this LMD. It is estimated that the tree program may take three years, the double acorn lights two years, and the single acorn lights fifteen years. Again, these are projected dates based on the availability of capital from outside sources.