Completed Projects/Issues - Other Projects

Fighting Blight

While it probably wouldn't occur to most San Diegans that there could be blight in La Jolla, there are a few places where it does exist. One such location was 6710 La Jolla boulevard near the Su Casa restaurant. The lot, a former gas station site, was occupied with the ugly remains of a half torn down building surrounded by a chain link fence and plenty of litter and graffiti.

Upon taking office one of my first projects was to locate the owner of that property and see what I could do to improve the situation. I feel that the improvement of the visual environment is an important element in protecting our quality of life.

I was successful in locating the owner who had become unhappy with his dealing with the City and the delays in his attempts to finish the demolition of the site. I then stepped in and held several meetings with the owner and City staff and found that the site had become a public nuisance due to transient encampments and possible drug activity on the site. Noting that this had become a public safety hazard, I then contacted the Alpha Project, a non-profit agency dedicated to helping homeless and troubled citizens get their lives back on line, to help speed the demolition of the site.

With the help of the Alpha Project, the demolition took place on September 15th. The current owner of the property is now in negotiation with several potential buyers. I am looking forward to a possible small mixed use project to enhance the area.