North Park MAD

Phyllis Shess

Devin House
Email: northparkmad@cox.net

North Park MAD

What's a MAD?

A Maintenance Assessment District (MAD) is a legal mechanism by which property owners can vote to assess themselves to pay and receive services above-and-beyond what the city of San Diego normally provides. This above-and-beyond service level is called a ''special benefit.'' What the city of San Diego normally provides is called the ''general benefit.''

In the past, MADs were also known as:
Landscape Maintenance Districts (LMDs) or
Lighting and Landscape Maintenance Districts (LLMDs).
Because many districts include more than landscaping and lighting, the city changed the name to represent the nature of the districts better.

MADs usually pay for maintenance services but can also pay for construction and installation in limited circumstances.

MADs are usually used to provide funding for higher levels of maintenance services in the public right-of-way, for example:
landscape maintenance, such as
 irrigation
 pruning
 pest control
 dead tree removal
 Fertilization
 weeding
 plant replacement
 turf mowing/edging

street maintenance, such as
 sweeping and weeding of street medians and curbs/gutters
 removal of graffiti
 maintenance of street benches

open space maintenance, such as
 safety tree trimming and removal
 litter removal

street light maintenance for light fixtures which exceed what the city of San Diego provides, such as
 energy costs;
 graffiti removal  light bulb and damaged post replacement

litter removal seasonal decoration installation/removal
sign maintenance
banner installation/removal

Some of the services MADs do not pay for are:
brush removal (which is performed on a City wide limited basis by a Brush Management Unit)
maintenance of slopes which cannot be seen from roadways
retaining walls, clean water retention basins, and landscaping along Caltrans property approaching freeway on-and-off ramps

What's the North Park MAD do?

Based on the property-owner approved ballot initiative and the Annual Update to the Assessment Engineer?’s Report, the North Park MAD funds maintenance of the following improvements:
Streetlights
Operations, maintenance, and energy costs for existing streetlights on University Avenue, 30th Street, Dale/Upas Streets, and 32nd Street from University Avenue to Upas Street.
El Cajon Boulevard Landscaped Medians
Maintenance of approximately 40,774 square feet of existing and proposed landscaped medians along El Cajon Boulevard.
Streetscape Improvements
Maintenance of streetscape improvements along University Avenue and along 30th Street, from North Park Way to El Cajon Boulevard.
North Park and El Cajon Boulevard Signs
Cleaning, maintenance, and energy costs for four (4) community identification signs, on El Cajon Boulevard and University Avenue, respectively.
Street Cleaning
Street cleaning along 30th Street, University Avenue, and El Cajon Boulevard.
Sidewalk Steam Cleaning
Sidewalk steam cleaning along University Avenue and 30th Street.
 Tree Maintenance
Maintenance of approximately 447 newly planted street side trees, each for a 3-year establishment period after planting, including 225 new trees to be planted using District funds, as described below under ?“Capital Improvements,?” and 222 new trees to be planted using other than District funds; subsequent to the 3-year establishment period, maintenance and trimming of street trees at a lesser level.
 Switzer Bridge Enhancement Project
Maintenance of the Switzer Bridge Enhancement Project described below under ?“Capital Improvements.?”
 Couplet Landscape and Art Project
Maintenance of a future 2-phase streetscape project in the vicinity of University Avenue and Boundary Street.
Sidewalk Repair Rebate Program
Partial funding of miscellaneous sidewalk repairs throughout the District in collaboration with affected property owners, through a rebate program of $100 per parcel.

A full copy of the Fiscal Year 2006 Annual Update to the Assessment Engineer?’s Report (dated June 2005) is available for download in PDF format at www.sandiego.gov/ park-and-recreation/pdf/06northpark.pdf.

What about Construction Project?

Property Owners may use a Maintenance Assessment District to provide funding for construction or installation projects on a limited basis only. MAD Assessments to fund construction or installation are limited to 5 years for landscaping, statues, fountains and lighting; and to 30 years for acquisition of parkland or open space land; and park and recreation improvements and maintenance.
Instead, most of the assets maintained by MADs are installed by developers or with Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) or Facilities Benefit Assessment (FBA) funds.
The current approved ballot initiative allows the North Park MAD to fund the following new capital improvements:
Mid-Block Streetlights
Installation of approximately 150 new mid-block streetlights, installed throughout the District.
Street Side Trees
Planting of approximately 225 new street side trees, including approximately 75 concrete sidewalk cuts.
Switzer Bridge Enhancement Project
Design and construction of a streetscape and art project along 30th Street at Switzer Canyon, construction costs to be supplemented by other sources.