City Seeks Community Input on New Park Site

Local resident Tom Gaian at future park site

Santee wants to hear from local residents regarding the city’s opportunity to buy a half-acre parcel at the 9200 block of Via de Cristina from the state and develop it as a neighborhood pocket park.

A public meeting to gather feedback and ideas from residents has been scheduled for 7p.m. on May 2 at Building 8 at the Santee City Hall Complex, 10601 Magnolia Avenue.

“Before we proceed any farther on this project,  which is still in the conceptual phase, we want to listen to local residents,” said Community Services Director Bill Maertz.

“Input from this meeting will be invaluable to the design of the park,” he said. “We are committed to a process that involves all stakeholders.”

The parcel being considered for the park is surplus property acquired by Caltrans for the construction of State Route 52.

The city recently rezoned the property from residential to open space.

Questions about the meeting or the park can be directed to Special Projects Coordinator Terry Rodgers at trodgers@ci.santee.ca.us or (619) 258-4100 ext. 127.

SDG&E Work to Impact Local Traffic

Motorists should watch for traffic cones along Magnolia and Woodside avenues as a result of trenching and other work being performed by SDG&E and its contractors.

Affected areas will be:

·         Magnolia Avenue from Mast Blvd. to Mission Gorge Road

·         Woodside Avenue from Magnolia to State Route 67.

Some of the work will occur in the evening and early morning hours.  SDG&E officials say they will notify adjacent residents and businesses of the potential impact.

SDG&E is doing the work to accommodate the expansion of the Las Colinas Women’s Detention Facility and  “ to provide more electric capacity to the area in an effort to insure that current and future customers continue to have reliable electric service,” the company said.

Work will start in May and is expected to be complete by mid-September

Questions or feedback can be directed to SDG&E’s Public Affairs Manager Don Parent at

 DParent@semprautilities.com

 

 

National Prescription Drug Take Back Day

Now is the time to dispose of old or unwanted prescription drugs cluttering your medicine cabinet.

In collaboration with National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department will be accepting prescription medications for safe disposal at various locations on Saturday, April 27 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The drop-off site in Santee will be the Walgreen’s parking lot at 10512 Mission Gorge Road.

This service is free and anonymous, with no questions asked. Unwanted or expired prescription drugs can be disposed of, but sharps or needles cannot be accepted.

Disposing of old prescriptions this way prevents them from falling into the wrong hands or damaging the environment through improper disposal.

For a complete list of drop-off locations, click here. If you are unable to make this event, unwanted prescriptions can be dropped off at any sheriff’s station Monday through Friday during regular business hours.

Caution: Street Work on Mission Gorge Road

Motorists should watch for traffic cones beginning Thursday night (April 25) along the westbound lanes of Mission Gorge Road between Town Center Parkway and Carlton Hills Boulevard. 

Workers will be completing a street paving and trench restoration project between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. both Thursday and Friday in front of the shopping center that features a Lowe’s and Chick-fil-a

The work is occurring in the evening and early morning because of high traffic volume during daylight hours.

Caution is advised because of the construction zone and the weather forecast, which is calling for rain Thursday.

Give Us Your Opinion of Santee

Santee's iconic boulders

Help us with our survey and enter to win one of five $10 gift certificates to a Santee restaurant. The survey is anonymous, but if you want to be included in the drawing please provide your name and phone number.

Purpose of the Survey: The city of Santee is collaborating with the Santee Chamber of Commerce on the development of a branding strategy for the city. This is a complex process involving several steps, the first of which is to collect information regarding existing opinions of Santee.

Your completion of the following survey will be extremely helpful to the development of a city brand. The survey is short, and should only take a few minutes to complete.

Click here to take the survey.

Thank you very much for your input and participation.

Eighth Annual SanTree Fest This Saturday

Santee’s homegrown celebration of Arbor Day and Earth Day is back for an eighth year in a new daylong format with more booths, free activities, and entertainment.

SanTree Fest is a day for volunteers to help beautify a riverfront park, as well as an opportunity for families to enjoy a day of free entertainment while learning how to preserve the environment.

The event will be held  Saturday, April 27th from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Town Center Community Park East, 550 Park Center Drive.

At 9 a.m., early arrivals will be rewarded with a chance to experience the spectacle of a recycled fire truck blasting streams of Dr. Bronner’s organic soap foam into the crowd.

A mobile water-conservation science lab sponsored by Padre Dam Municipal Water District will also be at the park, along with more than 40 other vendor booths.  All activities are free and food will be available for purchase.

There will also be interactive dance routines in conjunction with National Dance Week and continuous live musical entertainment, including performances by Box Canyon, Sarah Black, and Ben Owens.

A free Kids Zone will offer crafts, a lady bug release, and games and activities including inflatables.

Volunteers at the event will have the opportunity to clean up the shoreline along the San Diego River or help plant trees following a 10 a.m. ceremony led by Mayor Randy Voepel, who will honor the US. Marine units the city has adopted.

Those interested in volunteering need to fill out a waiver, which is available at the link below.

SanTree Fest is sponsored by the city of Santee, Waste Management Inc., and  McWire Electric.

Waste Management will also be hosting a booth to accept household batteries for proper disposal and teach participants about recycling in Santee.

For more information, click here.

 

Help Us Stop Park Vandalism



An oak tree  cut down by vandals on the path south of the park

The city is asking for the public’s help in identifying perpetrators who have repeatedly vandalized and left graffiti at Shadow Hill Park in recent months.

City officials estimate between $3,000 and $7,000 worth of damage has been done at the park in three separate incidents since January. The most recent and damaging foray by vandals occurred overnight on April 16, when at least two oak trees were cut down , several others damaged, and an estimated 20 sprinkler heads were smashed.

“Someone out there knows something about these acts of vandalism and we need them to come forward,” said Community Services Director Bill Maertz. “There are much better uses of taxpayers’ money than having to repair senseless damage like this.”

Anyone with information should notify authorities via the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department non-emergency disptach number at (858) 565-5200 or by contacting San Diego County Crimestoppers at 888-580-8477.