Friends of Coast Walk Trail welcomes constructive solutions
The Friends of Coast Walk Trail board would like to address Jim Hudnall’s recent letter expressing concerns about landscape changes along the trail (“Coast Walk Trail landscape changes are doing great harm,” Our Readers Write, Jan. 2, La Jolla Light).
It might surprise Mr. Hudnall that San Diego and specifically the La Jolla coastline is currently experiencing the third-driest winter on record when invasive annual plants (mustard plant, nasturtium, to name a couple) usually start the blooming cycle.
While we appreciate his interest, we encourage him to engage directly with our volunteers, who have devoted years to restoring the trail’s natural beauty, and learn before advocating a position without all available information.
Since 2011, with community funding , we have planted over 3,000 native plants, achieving roughly a 60% success rate in establishing a healthier native ecosystem. These efforts are vital to controlling erosion and ing native pollinators. Devils Slide restoration is a good example of a successful native restoration and invasive management effort by these volunteers.
We have always welcomed ideas for improvement, provided the ideas are based on facts and offered in the spirit of collaboration. Constructive dialogue helps us continue balancing trail preservation with ecological restoration under city permit guidelines.
Balancing the environmental needs against the public needs, and within guidelines of the permit, has been our consistent approach. Know this — the struggle is real. We consistently seek out viable and creative ways to achieve the same goal as Mr. Hudnall outlines. It takes everyone to work together, and we welcome the opportunity to do so.
Mr. Hudnall or any concerned community member is invited to reach out through our website or board directly. We are happy to meet, walk the trail and, together, we can build on the success of this important project to “polish the Jewel.”
Submitted by Brenda Fake on behalf of the board of Friends of Coast Walk Trail
Work on Coast Walk Trail has revitalized it
I am writing in response to the Jan. 2 letter by Jim Hudnall.
When I first moved to La Jolla from the East Coast in 2005, my husband and I regularly walked the Coast Walk Trail. After a few years, however, the walk became so unstable from erosion, I stopped walking it and enjoying the magnificent view for fear of falling.
Over the past number of years, the work that has been done to the trail is nothing short of miraculous. The path is stable, the flowers are magnificent and I can once again enjoy my walks either by myself or with friends and visitors.
I think Jim Hudnall should reach out to the Friends of Coast Walk Trail for a private docent-led tour in order to fully understand and appreciate all the hard work that has gone into revitalizing the trail.
Estelle Ebert
City of La Jolla would have service options beyond San Diego
Prior to existing communities incorporating and beginning self-governance, there is a defined process required by the Local Agency Formation Commission to obtain its approval for an incorporation election (“La Jolla cityhood group ‘remains committed’ despite questions raised by San Diego officials,” Dec. 19, La Jolla Light).
The Association for the City of La Jolla has completed a preliminary comprehensive fiscal analysis for its application to LAFCO. LAFCO will prepare a comprehensive fiscal analysis in order to establish the feasibility of a new city.
The preliminary analysis identifies various ways the new city of La Jolla can contract for important municipal services such as police, fire, lifeguards and trash collection, along with all other city departments and services. It is ACLJ’s position that contracting with the city of San Diego, to the extent possible, will be beneficial to the city of San Diego.
There are multiple ways services can be contracted with other agencies if the city of San Diego is not receptive to a contract.
Neighboring cities such as Del Mar, Solana Beach and Encinitas contract for police with the county sheriff and contract for trash collection through EDCO and other vendors. Because Del Mar does not have its own water supply or filtration plant, the city buys raw water from the San Diego County Water Authority and contracts with the city of San Diego to treat and transport water.
The city of Del Mar contracts with the San Elijo t Powers Authority and the San Diego metropolitan wastewater system for treatment services. It works with the cities of Solana Beach and San Diego for transport services.
Each of the 18 cities within San Diego County has some combination of negotiated agreements and city departments to maintain a safe and efficient municipal structure.
During the LAFCO process, the feasibility of service provision will be evaluated and determined prior to approval of the incorporation proposal.
The city of San Diego is required by law to continue providing services during the first-year “transition period.” The mayor and council of the new city of La Jolla will consider and decide the best path forward on contracts past the transition period.
Submitted by Trace Wilson on behalf of the Association for the City of La Jolla
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