Prospect Avenue Enhancement Update

Final paving of Prospect Avenue and the intersections at Magnolia Avenue and Cuyamaca Street has been completed except for areas where the old power poles need to be removed.

Telephone, power and cable companies are installing cable and wire into conduits below the surface, the next step toward converting  overhead wires to the new underground system.   The conversion work will be performed and coordinated with property owners by SDG&E, Cox and AT&T.

 

Once the utility and cable companies have converted all properties to the underground system, the overhead wires and the wood power poles holding them up will be removed.

Asphalt and concrete near the old power poles will be replaced once the poles are gone.

The new LED street lights will be turned on in segments as the power system is undergrounded.

Arrival of Summer Brings Live Music to Santee

The Cat*illacs

Here’s the scenario: It’s Friday-eve and you’re looking for something to bust you out of your normal humdrum routine.

Here’s the solution: Head down to Town Center Community Park East to enjoy live music, food trucks that rival the best gastro-pubs, and a venue where the best seats in the house are free.

Yep. Free.

The city of Santee offers this phenomenal combination each summer during a 10-week concert series at our expansive park at 550 Park Center Drive (north side of the San Diego River east of Cuyamaca Street).

The series begins June 18 with the classic rock sounds of the Cat•illacs. There will also be a classic car show, booths and plenty of room to throw a Frisbee or bounce a beach ball.

 “The concerts are all about having fun in the sun with neighbors and friends,” said Bree Humphrey, the city’s special events supervisor. “People have figured out the formula for comfort by bringing a beach chair, sunscreen and something cold to drink.”

You’re welcome to bring your own refreshments, but no glass containers are allowed.

Metro Transit System has a message for out-of-towners who want to attend the concerts: “Let MTS do the driving. Take the Green Line to Santee Trolley Square.” The shopping center is within a half-mile of the park, so bring a bicycle or walking shoes.

Performances are every Thursday from 6:30- 8:00 p.m. through August 27.  There’s no July 2 concert because of the 4th of July holiday.

Each concert will have food trucks serving cuisine that echoes the theme of that evening’s style of music.

Returning this summer are two specialty concerts, Blues & BBQ on July 16 and Wingstock on August 13. These two concerts run 5:30-8:30 p.m. Blues & BBQ will feature Whitney Shay & the Robin Henkel Band along with Len Rainey & the Midnight Players and a special appearance by legendary bluesman Bill Magee. Phil’s BBQ will return this year as the designated food vendor at Blues & BBQ.

 At Wingstock, the crowd will be entertained by Back to the Garden with special guests Larry Grano and Mattie Mills and fill up on fare from Wings•n•Things.

 The Summer Concert Series is made possible by our generous sponsors: Barona Resort & Casino, Cox Communications, Pardee Homes, Walmart, Waste Management, Wings•n•Things, MTS and Daphne’s California Greek.

 The full concert schedule and band lineup is posted at http://goo.gl/C9f0fo

Santee's Efforts to Conserve Water

Santee’s Community Services Department is responsible for maintaining parks, roadside landscaping funded by gas tax revenue and municipal facilities such as the Civic Center Complex.  These facilities require either drinking water, irrigation water or both.

Santee was monitoring its water usage before the state enacted mandatory cutbacks on June 1 seeking a statewide reduction of 25 percent.  However, the ongoing drought has made us look for ways to conserve even more water. Even though the city is not a water purveyor—Padre Dam Municipal Water District fills that role -- we’re paying attention and taking conservation seriously.

Measures we’ve taken to reduce our water usage include:

·         Installed drip irrigation for landscaping at the Civic Center Complex

·         Using reclaimed water for roadside landscaping under the city’s control that is served by purple piping

·         Using  “smart” irrigation controllers that shut off when rain is in the weather forecast

·         Planted native, drought-tolerant plant species in landscaped areas at city parks

·         Installed artificial turf surfaces for one football and one soccer field at Town Center Community Park

·         Using recycled water at 10 landscaping fountains citywide

·         Installed metered water faucets in park restrooms

·         Planning to convert all overhead spray irrigation to drip systems and upgrade drip equipment that needs repair.

·         Replacing landscape turf on Fanita Parkway with drought-tolerant trees and shrubs

·         Using recycled water for street sweeping since 2013

·         Using reclaimed water at six of the city’s eight parks; the remaining two lack purple piping

·         Conducting daily inspections for leaks and sprinkler vandalism at all parks, right of ways and landscape maintenance districts. Leaks are isolated, shut off immediately and usually repaired within 24-hours. The city receives email notifications from Padre Dam MWD for when water meters indicate abnormal flows