LA JOLLA SHORES ASSOCIATION

WEDNESDAY –July 8th, 2009–7:00-9:00 pm

SCRIPPS INSTITUTION

T-29 at Scripps Institute of Oceanography

Doors Open at 6:45 PM

7:00    Welcome

· Agenda Modifications - Time Certain Announcements*…Jennifer here to talk about parking lot repavement.

· UCSD Representative - Milt Phegley …Not here tonight.

· Police Representative – Alan Alvarez…issue with the tents over the fourth of July.  Should be calling the police if the tents go up before 10:00PM at night.  Dangerously close to the park becoming a campground…need to be proactive.  Request to have this be put into the action report.  Hit it the evening before and then periodically throughout the night and morning and cite people who are in violation. Need to educate the people as to whom to call when they see the tents.  Our beach was the one that was most crowded the Friday before the 4^th of July.

· Approval of the Minutes – Pat Nissan..resubmit the minutes and get comments and review next month.

· Treasurer’s Report - John Metzger  $1830.80 BALANCE

· CD Representative –  Erin Demorest…Office recommended 500K for the design of the Torrey Pines Corridor project…from Throat onto Girard.  The city has 11 Million in conservation funding.  The deadline for proposals is Monday July 30^th.  Looking for projects that would create jobs for the city.  Special energy efficient ad hoc committee…check out website and contact the office. Town council is looking for submitting of Big Belly’s and also possible for the Shores to piggyback on this.  There is a form that needs to be submitted and have someone be interviewed and possibly come to a meeting. Check out their website for forms.

7:15    Chair’s Report – Jim Heaton

7:20    Public Comment

· Sherry N:  resident to talk about the Torrey Pines Rd Project…especially safety.  No crosswalks and deal with speeding cars.  Propose to work as a community to come up with a plan that works for everyone.

· Dan Allen:  wants to talk about the same thing.  The plan takes out the crosswalk and that makes it worse, not better. Putting a traffic signal for pedestrians only …can we put it onto the agenda for next month…wants a community consensus…Pedestrian only crossing with no signal light at Princess Street?

· Lee:  another neighbor said they are all in agreement for widening the sidewalks and having a pedestrian crosswalk and light only…for safety.  People have to cross Torrey Pines Rdand need this improvement.

· La Jolla Shores Association In 2006 voted against the light at Princess and Councilwoman Lightner has started a forum and another one between now and our next meeting.  Jim suggested that anyone interested go to that meeting.  We will take this up as a committee, if there is sufficient interest. 

· Izzy:  pedestrian crosswalk is different idea that what we voted down in 2006

· Surf permits…on agenda for discussion

7:30    Committee Reports

· Land Use: LJSPRC & LJSAB; LJSA PDO  – Tim Lucas…not here…no one to report

o Nominate/confirm representatives (3)

· Traffic & Transportation  – Joe Dicks…not here

o Nominate/confirm representatives (2)

· Parks & Beaches – Mary Coakley…Kellogg Playground opened on 2:00PM this past Thursday.  Still have an environmental panel to go up soon.  Nine of those panels.  JJ almost ready to go to the foundry. in clay form right now.  Should be a great addition to the park.  Working on her story to etch into the side of the seawall.

o Kellogg Park Playground

§ Ribbon cutting for Kellogg Park is hopefully the week of September after Labor Day.

· RFP processes:  Law suit that Rod submitted vs city…looks like it has some merit and could effect the Rf Surf, Kayak,:  Mary Coakley

· Business District: Pat Nissan.and Coco discussed the Fall Fest. Date Oct. 25, 2-6PM.  Committee meeting on the 20^th of July at 4:00PM at Papalulu’s.  Costumes are good and hope to block off part of the street and requesting some help.

· Communications and Community outreach: Todd Lesser

· Park benches in La Jolla Shores; Fran Doolittle

Information Only topics

· LJS Beach Parking lot re-pavement:  Jennifer Nichols Kearn

· Jennifer does the introduction from storm water Dept.  Talked about improvements to the watershed. She wants to prevent water runoff to go into drains.  Upgrade the parking lot in Kellogg Park. It get’s clogged up and some of the storm drains do not work.  Today we will talk about the upgrades that will prevent run-off and prevent infiltration to the water.

· Jeff S.  Project manager and some of his assistants here.

· Mark speaks first…landscape architect on the project…parking lot is flat…All pollutants drain on the parking lot and end up on the beach.  Want to change that to drain in the parking lot.

1. Island Planter…first project…contaminants are filtered first

2. Previous pavement.and.replace the ingress and egress part of the parking lot with permeable pavers that can drain and be cleaned better than the pervious concrete.  This will all collect into a sub drain.  Join project between Park and Rec.  This will be much easier to maintain

3. Sand are underneath the palm trees on sidewalk(French drain will be placed),…sub grade of gravel…it will look the same but will have a filter bed that will drain and give additional capacity to drain and not allow the containments to go into the water.  Get all the pollutants to drain with these three improvements.  Also thinks we can pick up some of the nuisance overflow from the neighborhoods as well..  No worry about loosing the Palm Trees with these drains.  Be completed by Feb 2011…no work during Labor and Memorial Day.  Some impact…parking shortage, but do it in phases…Mon-Friday. 8:30-4:30…all work in parking lot.  No trash enclosure…they will remain the same.

  Question…how will this affect the building of the lifeguard tower? When are they planning…they are coordinating with the project manager of that project.

  Trash is a pollutant is a problem…will look into what to do about not having the trash enclosed.

  Their scope of work is a water quality project   Will take it up at another time to try and do some different planting around the Palm Tree in the parking lot.  Planting is ok in the future.

Topics for vote or approval:  Actionable Items

8:00    Request for 5^th surf permit for LJS:  Darren Fulhorst

            Business owner for the past 10 years of two surf schools in La Jolla Shores.   Fall 2004 the city permitted all the surf sites in SD.  Two surf sites for Surf Diva and two for Darren’s surf schools.  Surf Diva got a 5^th permitted site.  Permits came up for renewal in 2008 and only the original 4 sites were up and Menehune surf only got one permitted site and Surf Diva got all the rest.  This has cut his business in half after this.  He only has three months time to generate 90% of their business.  What are we supposed to do with all our students and events that we have created?  They were offered a site a Mission beach and none of their clients wanted to go there.  Operated at a loss in Mission Beach last year.  Even with these other sites they still generated 80% of their revenue.  Surf Diva has a monopoly with having three out of four permitted surf sites.  Requesting the board to reinstate this fifth permitted site at La Jolla shores so they can stay in business.  Reinstating this fifth site is a win win for the city and create revenue for the city. Menehune has contributed over 100K in fees in the past five years…bring back trashcans and the fifth site at La Jolla shores.

Darren’s motion:

 MY MOTION: To reinstate the fifth surf instructional site at La Jolla Shores ,as it was previously permitted as site 1a from June 1^st,2005 through May 30^th, 2008.  I mention that this 5^th permitted site be awarded to Menehune Surf in the exact same capacity and manner in which it was awarded to Surf Diva as Site 1A in 2005, at the City’s sole discretion, without the need for a costly, tedious, and time consuming RFP process.  I motion that the term for this 5^th permitted site be the same as the current 6-year term of the other 4 sited, which conclude October 1^st, 2013.

            Home Owner in LJ…who and why would they be against this??  What’s changed/??  No reason why we couldn’t have a fifth permit. There is nothing that  appears to have changed.

            Another Comment: Menehune has been a great asset to us and let us get in the water and surf.  They have done a great job and helped our kids understand more about the ocean.  They do this work pro bono.

            Another person speaking about the Meunheune surf…person from Burn Institute said that they go to LJ Shores to take them surfing and they are great with their kids!  Burn survivors have a lot of medical issues…physical and occupational therapy to their kids.  Safety is tops with this surf school!

            Another person from Braille institute…the menhune offers their services to them and to a great job!

            A friend came to testify the effort Darren has put together for his Surf Camp…

            Izzy:  co-owner of Surf Diva…doesn’t know why this occurred.  Three things to say:

1. They preferred to work with one big operator rather than many small ones.  Look at the other beaches…one at each area.

2. City has a responsibility to contract with the best operators that they can. They can’t understand why this occurred!   Menehune got B- rankings and Surf Diva got A pluses.  Surf Diva should have an equal stab at getting the extra site.

3. Office Manager from Menehune camps…creating a monopoly if there is only one school…she feels her service at Menehune is equally good etc.  Public should have a choice.  Very frustrating to have their business cut in half.  Kids are frustrated by not being able to sign up for their surf camps.  The kids don’t want to go to another surf school

.

Problem with government specifying what business gets the extra permitted site.

This board has never supported any specific company for any of the RFP’s.

Jim explained the grading systems to a member of the audience.  City decided to reduce the number of permits and did so based on the ratings based on the companies.  They did not create a monopoly and this is their prerogative to do based on safety on the beach.  Four Permits based on 25 students at a time is what we currently have.

They can handle 100 surfers at a time and that’s it.

Ask Izzy why in 2008 did the city pull this 5^th permit out?  She didn’t really know.  They said they only wanted four.  There was also an appeal process and the process was not utilized and here we are in 2009.

John asked Izzy :  do you feel it is a bit crowded?  Not appropriate!  More from John…wants to know why the fifth site was taken away.

Jim asked the lifeguards and the Mayor’s office to attend and he was declined.

Our business has not been to ever support a particular business.  We ought to have an opportunity to give the city our input.

Board member asked why Menehune Surf didn’t appeal and we were told that they were told not to appeal and were also assured that they would be taken care of.

Mary:  not familiar with surf situation…asked how they were graded?  Very difficult when businesses are getting mixed messages.  Need a new motion to support, since there is a demand, and then ask for another permit to be granted.  Would we recommend to the city that we would like to see a 5^th site?  The non-profit groups don’t follow any other guidelines and yet the city turns a blind eye.

City is reducing the number of Surfers in the water and also the number of Kayaks in the water. 

Ed:  Board Member:  Could ask the city to open up the appeal process…but that wouldn’t be fair to Surf Diva.  He is urging the city to work with the community organizations.

Jim suggested that we ask the City why they took away one of the permits.  This association should be more involved with these types of situations.

Mary feels that if we ask the City, the issue will be safety!

8:20    Proposal for Triangle and Exit to Kellogg Park Parking Lot at El Paseo Grande and Camino Del Oro:  Mary Coakley

City has come up with a proposal that would allow us to block and have additional drop off zones.  Have this hand delivered to anyone that lives near the area to come and comment.  Now he will entertain discussion on this proposal.    One resident came to speak…he is alarmed at this.  They need this triangle as a buffer zone and pulls the park into their front yard!  Totally opposed to it.

            More comment…angry that they have never really been asked…many absentee owners and many hasn’t gotten any notice.  The neighbors do not want the congestion. Another resident agrees with the neighbors that this would not work and she is a walker and that we don’t need more traffic at this area.  Would only create traffic would be just awful

            John M.  Questions…are you happy with the triangle of how it currently stands.  I do feel personally that something needs to be done. 

            Propose a right and left turn only and cut some of it off.

            Exit congestion proposal…never witnessed an accident

            Asked to restripe it for sure.

            Jim then asked them to come back to our meeting with a proposal…want to try and improve it any way..  He states that we all work together and make it happen.

            Mary C.  Makes a comment…that area looks like it needs some help…we can do better than how it is. We need drop-off zones and we were trying to tie it into the parking lot improvements.

            Jim is asking the neighbors if there is anything they would like to do before the city paves the parking lot at the park.  We put together a group and if there is interest we can go forward and if not, then since there is substantial unhappiness, we will not push it forward.

            We will not vote on this tonight.

            Greg S.  We do need a drop off area for the beach

            Mary C.  Looking at how to create more parking spaces prior to them repaving the parking lot, to have slanted parking and that would eliminate vans and RV’s. 

            Andrea…a storm water engineer told us that we cannot change the size of the planter and so we cannot change that design.

Jim asked for a 2^nd motion…

        Motion:

        LJSA expresses its concerns with the city’s administration of the 2008 La Jolla Shores Surf Camp RFP, which resulted in a reduction in the number of surf camp permits.  The city took this action without consulting LJSA and the community it represents.  We feel this takes away an opportunity for more people to participate in surf camps each summer, We ask the city to provide a prompt and complete explanation of the factors shaping that decision.

The Vote …12-1-0  (One against:Coco )  (one didn’t vote Sharon L.)

9:00    Adjourn to next meeting, Wednesday Sept 9th at 7 PM, in Building T-29 at SCRIPPS INSTITUTION OF OCEANOGRAPHY. 

DIRECTIONS TO SCRIPPS INSTITUTION OF OCEANOGRAPHY  - BUILDING T-29

Take La Jolla Shores Drive North (from La Jolla Shores Parkway).  Turn Left at Naga Way, the Naga Entrance to Scripps Institution of Oceanography.   At the fork bear right, you are on Biological Grade.  Go north on Biological Grade, up the hill, approximately .2 miles and park in parking lot  “PO11 or PO12”.  Walk south to building T-29.