Prospect Avenue Project Moving Ahead

Decorative pedestrian crossing at Cottonwood Ave.

Expect a bustle of activity in the “cone zone” along Prospect Avenue this week.

On Wednesday, April 1, pavement work will be occurring at the western end of Prospect between Railroad and North Magnolia avenues, the last major section of asphalt to be removed and replaced.

On Thursday, April 2, traffic lanes between Railroad and North Magnolia avenues will be re-routed to the outside lanes to allow workers to remove the center lane, which will be rebuilt.  For the duration of this work, turns across the construction zone will not be allowed. However, motorists can access businesses on the opposite side of the street by taking a U-turn at either Railroad or North Magnolia avenues.

The repaving of Hacienda Road on the north side of Prospect has been scheduled to begin in the next two weeks.  Flyers detailing the construction schedule will be distributed to residents.

A decorative sidewalk similar to the one recently installed at Cottonwood Avenue will be under construction at the North Magnolia Avenue intersection.

Workers this week will be installing street lights, installing electrical conduit  and equipment at businesses and residents to convert the overhead wires to an underground system.  Contractors will also be pouring concrete driveways and curbs throughout the project area, which stretches for a mile between Cuyamaca Street and North Magnolia Avenue.

Questions or comments about the project can be directed to Senior Civil Engineer Toby Espinola at  (619) 258-4100 ext. 174.

 

Mountain Bikers Trespassing on Marine Base Face Citations

The Marine Corps is urging mountain bikers to heed the “No Trespassing on Federal Property”  signs at the east end of the Miramar Air Station.

Military police are patrolling the area, which abuts Mission Trails Regional Park and Sycamore Canyon Reserve, and they are issuing citations to violators.  

The Marines’ latest warning was issued in response to a March 16 incident in which civilian mountain bicyclists rode on to a rifle range while Marines were conducting life firing exercises. An emergency cease fire was called and no one was injured.

In addition to the danger posed by live firing ranges, trespassers are also in peril from unexploded ordinance left on the ground during artillery, tank and mortar training dating back to the 1930s.
Even though these ranges are no longer active, many of them have not been fully cleared of explosives and are considered unsafe.

Public Meeting April 2 on Via de Cristina Park Project

Santee residents and property owners are invited to attend a public meeting  at 7 p.m. April 2 to discuss a preliminary design for Via de Cristina Park. The meeting will be held at Building 8A at the City Hall Complex at 10601 Magnolia Avenue.

The park is proposed for a half-acre parcel east of Fanita Drive adjacent to State Route 52. The property is excess right-of-way that the city of Santee has leased from the State Department of Transportation, (Caltrans).

 City officials and consultants from Dokken Engineering  will provide an overview of the proposed park’s layout and amenities. . The preliminary design incorporates suggestions offered at an initial public meeting held in April 2013.

The current vision calls for a family friendly park that would include a playground structure and an interactive bikeway where children could play.  The park would have a perimeter pathway , benches, a small shade structure and drought-tolerant landscaping.

The project schedule calls for construction to start in January 2016, followed by four months of construction. The park would be open for public use in April 2016.

Questions about the project can be directed to Terry Rodgers, Special Projects Coordinator, at (619) 258-4100 ext. 127 or trodgers@cityofsanteeca.gov

 

Zero Tolerance for Graffiti in Santee

The city of Santee is doing its best to deter and penalize those who make a sport of defacing property.

The city has a track record of prosecuting vandals regardless of the size or frequency of their illegal graffiti.  One teenager was recently prosecuted for defacing a picnic table at a city park with a marking pen.  The damage was only $25, but the youth paid a fine and was sentenced to 40 hours of community service. Three years ago, a prolific graffiti tagger was arrested, convicted and ordered to repay the city $20,000 in restitution.
“It doesn’t make a difference how big or small it is, graffiti is graffiti,” said Community Service Director Bill Maertz. “If you deface public property, we’ll find you and you’ll pay.”

For the past five years, Santee has participated in the regional Graffiti Tracker program, a sophisticated, web-based graffiti reporting system that creates a data base that allows crime analysts to identify each tagger’s graphic signature.  Taggers are actually providing new evidence against themselves each time they leave their mark.

The city’s Public Services staff moves quickly – usually within 24 hours—to erase graffiti after it is reported on the city’s graffiti hotline or on the city’s smartphone app.

“We utilize the ‘broken window’ theory,” said Sgt. Kelly Moody, referring to the criminology theory that responding quickly to vandalism or dumping when the damage is small prevents similar crimes from proliferating. 

“As soon as we identify (graffiti), we immediately try to take care of the problem so it doesn’t get worse,” said Moody, who heads the Community Oriented Policing and Problem Solving Team at the Sheriff’s Dept. Santee Station.

Bluegrass Festival Tickets on Sale Now

The sixth annual Santee Bluegrass Festival will be held Saturday, September 12. Don’t wait until the last minute to get your tickets because, without a doubt, this event will sell out.

Tickets can be purchased in advance online or at Santee City Hall, Building 6, 10601 Magnolia Avenue. Early bird pricing of $40 per ticket is effective through March 31. After that, the price increases to $45 for advanced sales and $50 at the door, pending availability. Designated driver tickets are available for $35.

The event will take place from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Town Center Community Park East, 550 Park Center Drive. Live music will be performed by two renowned bluegrass bands, Box Canyon and High Mountain Road. Plenty of food and drink will be available with samplings from local breweries, wineries and restaurants. There also will be a fabulous silent auction, so be ready to bid.

This event is a fundraiser to help support the Santee Teen Center, park improvement projects and the Recreation Scholarship Program that assists qualifying families to participate in our recreation programs at a discount.

For a list of participating vendors, parking information and frequently asked questions, visit the event webpage.

Hope to see you at the festival