New grass may be coming to La Jolla’s Scripps Park after years of local s lamenting its condition.
A plan discussed at the Oct. 28 La Jolla Parks & Beaches meeting would raise funds in coming weeks to help replace grass at the park starting with the new year.
The condition of the grass at Scripps Park, which is part of the La Jolla Park Coastal Historic District that was listed earlier this year on the National of Historic Places, has declined in recent years.
LJP&B board member Ann Dynes said local volunteers have met with San Diego Parks & Recreation Department staff several times in recent months and that one of the projects the groups agreed could be done is to replace the grass.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dynes said, vendors using the park and a lack of maintenance resulted in “huge gaps in the sod.”
The project area would be in front of the Scripps Park restroom facility and in front of the La Jolla Bridge Club and Point La Jolla, among other places.
One patch would cost $13,000 and another would be $11,000, Dynes said. However, that price tag is for things such as city permits and labor and does not include needed fencing and the actual sod.
Therefore, Dynes said she wants to contribute financially to the project to help speed the process and encouraged other community to do the same.
“This is an opportunity for all of us to invest in one way or another in … this historic district,” Dynes said. “Scripps Park is our crown jewel … it’s the face of La Jolla.”
LJP&B President Bob Evans said he “loves this idea” because the park is “barren” in some areas.
In his correspondence with city representatives, Evans said, he gets the impression “the city is really committed to getting this installed correctly.”
The Parks & Recreation Department issued a statement to the La Jolla Light saying “Once the project begins, new soil and sod will be laid, followed by the temporary cordoning-off of newly installed sod to allow for root growth to occur. After that, ongoing turf maintenance would occur and include … irrigation and mowing on a regular basis, daily visual inspections and weekly irrigation inspections.”
However, LJP&B board member Sally Miller noted that with frequent use, “the sod that was put in front of the bathroom was gone almost immediately. I know we like grass, but grass is not going to survive there.”
The Parks & Recreation statement said that “if any turf areas show signs of stress, they would be cordoned off. These areas would receive supplemental irrigation, nutrients and/or seeding until the grass recovers. Due to the area’s high visitorship and foot traffic, diligent visual inspections will be conducted daily to ensure the turf renovation’s success.”
Dynes argued that winter weather conditions mean the time for this work is now.
“It needs to be timed in coordination with what we hope will be a nice rainy winter,” she said.
The idea, she said, is for work to begin at the start of 2025 and for the fencing to come down by spring.
Evans said the board will launch a fundraising campaign for the project and added that the group is working with the San Diego Parks Foundation — of which Dynes is a founding member — to supply materials.
People who donate through lajollaparksbeaches.org can designate their contribution for “Scripps Park Sod” or “Scripps Park Grass.”
Other LJP&B news
Windansea plaques: As part of an ongoing project to put bluff erosion mitigation measures in place at Windansea Beach and build a belvedere, or gazebo, Friends of Windansea has been granted permission from the city to raise funds for and install plaques on the beach access stairs, said LJP&B and Friends member Melinda Merryweather.
She said there would be four plaques, each placed in the ground at the four beach access stairways. They would be 2½ by 10 inches and cost $25,000 each for purchase, installation and naming rights.
“People ask us all the time about a plaque there, so you can have your name at the top of the stairs at Windansea Beach,” Merryweather said.
Proceeds would cover the erosion mitigation part of the project.
Next meeting: Given that its next two meetings normally would fall during the November and December holidays, the La Jolla Parks & Beaches board will meet in early December as a combination November/December meeting. It is scheduled for 4 p.m. Monday, Dec. 9, at the La Jolla/Riford Library, 7555 Draper Ave. Learn more at lajollaparksbeaches.org. ♦
