Emergency Lane Closure on Southbound Magnolia Avenue

Heavy runoff overwhelmed a storm drain construction site early this morning, forcing the city of Santee to close a southbound lane about 6 a.m. on Magnolia Avenue at Mission Gorge Road.

The lane closure hampered the early morning commute for motorists heading to State Route 52.

“We apologize for the inconvenience, which we know caused headaches for motorists trying to get to work,” said a city spokesman.

The problem occurred when heavy storm surge caused erosion that undermined trench shoring put in place for a storm drain replacement project that will continue through December.

Motorists are advised to avoid the area if possible until the traffic lane is fixed, which is expected by the end of today.

Let the Bidding Begin: Prospect Avenue Enhancement Project

Prospect Avenue today

With design work completed, Santee is now seeking bids for the construction of the Prospect Avenue Corridor Enhancement, a $25 million project to revitalize the industrial zone next to Gillespie Field.

“We’re pleased that the project has advanced to the bid phase, and that we’re on track to start construction in January 2014,” said Carl Schmitz, a principal civil engineer and project manager.

The bidding process is being coordinated through the San Diego Association of Governments’ website, which can be accessed here.

The project, which is expected to take a year to complete, calls for upgrading a mile-long section of Prospect Avenue between Magnolia Avenue and Cuyamaca Street. It’s been a complex process because of the need to acquire private property to expand the city’s right-of-way.

Improvements will include new sidewalks, curbs and gutters, along with attractive drought-tolerant landscaping. Overhead utility wires will be undergrounded and utility poles removed. New street lighting will be installed and storm drains will be upgraded to eliminate flooding.

 On-street parking and bicycle lanes will be installed on both sides of the street. Traffic signals will be upgraded and a dual left-turn lane will be added.

The project will improve the appearance of Prospect Avenue and make travel safer for pedestrians, bicyclists and vehicular traffic.

The city anticipates the improvements will serve as a catalyst to attract new businesses and jobs to this important industrial corridor of Santee.

Concept Plan for New Park

City staff is seeking direction from the City Council  on a conceptual  plan to develop a linear park at the eastern terminus of Mast Boulevard as an alternative to extending the road to Lakeside.

If the Council approves the concept and decides to move forward, the project will undergo the normal public review process.

That will include an “open house” style public meeting with displays and graphics, as well as public hearings before the Santee Parks and Recreation Committee.

Santee Turns Mast Park into a Classroom

Shannon Quigley of SD River Foundation with 4th graders

Santee city staffers  teamed up with the San Diego River Park Foundation to be guest teachers during a recent field trip with local fourth graders along the San Diego River.

The science-oriented excursion took place at Mast Park, where students from Rio Seco Elementary School learned about the river’s wildlife, water quality and ecology.

Fourth graders from teacher Heather Glanz’s  class took photos and notes, which they took back to the classroom to expand on what they had learned in the field.

Shannon Quigley of the River Foundation showed students the proper way to take water samples from the river and test them for acidity, dissolved oxygen and water clarity.

Simulating how pollutants enter the river

“I loved when we were all at the river dipping our samples and waiting for the temperature to normalize and counting to 60 together out loud,” Quigley said.

Santee Storm Water Program intern Nicole Sabay provided a lesson on how trash and pollutants carried by storm drains end up in the river and affect the water quality and wildlife.

 To illustrate how pollutants enter the river, Sabay  had students pour liquid into a plastic tube (simulating a storm drain) that emptied into a large plastic basin with rubber ducks and plastic fish.

Sarah Hutmacher and Shelsea Ochoa  from the River Foundation gave a lesson on native plants and leaf adaptation, allowing the kids to inspect the flora up-close with magnifiers.

“Through hands-on exploration of native plants, insects, and water quality, we hope to inspire the next generation of environmental stewards,” Hutmacher said.

Arborist Annette Saul, Santee’s Parks and Landscape Supervisor, explained the benefits of native trees and plants.

 “It was really fun to see how excited the kids were to be in an outdoor classroom,” Saul said.  “The students were able to understand how the river, native plants and trees are all connected in our local environment.”

City Expands Opportunities for Night Tennis

The installation of new light timers has doubled the number of lighted courts the general public may use in the evening at Santana High School.

The original timer that controlled lighting for four courts has been replaced by two timers that light as many as eight courts.  The new timers, which were bought with city park improvement funds, allow each block of four courts to remain lighted for one hour. The lights can only be activated from sunset to 10 p.m. A green strobe light tells players when the timer is close to turning off the lights. Players can extend play for an additional hour by pressing a demand switch

The city previously limited the number of lighted courts to four to save on electricity costs. The original timers caused the lights to remain on until 9 p.m. regardless of when they were activated, and the courts often remained lighted for hours after players had left.

“We anticipate the new timers will be more efficient and at the same time allow the public greater opportunities to play tennis during peak times,” said Recreation Services Manager Sue Richardson.



Santee’s Public Services crews also installed new light bulbs and cleaned the lenses on 50 fixtures, which means the lights should be brighter for tennis buffs. 

The tennis courts at Santana High School are available after school hours to the general public through a joint use agreement with the Grossmont Union School District.

 

Santee Bird of the Month: Anna’s Hummingbird

 

Anna’s are among the most common type of hummingbird  found in Southern California. It’s the only one in North America with a crimson-red crown, but only the males have that colorful feature. The one pictured here is a female Anna’s, which is less colorful because it needs to camouflage itself from predators. These birds feed on nectar from flowers and on insects.