Landscape Maintenance Districts

Landscape Master Plan

A landscape master plan was developed to illustrate conceptual landscape improvements, and will set the framework for decision makers in the planning, maintenance, and rehabilitation of landscape along Twin Peaks and Espola Roads. 

The plan was developed by KTUA Planning and Landscape Architecture in conjunction with the City of Poway, Poway’s Landscape Maintenance District Advisory Group (a community advisory committee), and public outreach. It will assist in providing a systematic and prioritized approach in the development of recommendations on the implementation of short and long term landscape projects, maintenance, operations and findings based on public desires.

Landscape Master Plan Outreach

Poway held two community meetings on the conceptual Landscape Master Plan for Twin Peaks and Espola Roads. 

• LMD 83-1 Open House: April 13, 2022  
  • View Meeting Presentation  
• LMD 86-1 Open House: April 20, 2022 
  • View Meeting Presentation  

Prior to the community meetings, Poway and the LMD Advisory Group conducted outreach to residents living within Landscape Maintenance District (LMD) 83-1 and 86-1. The goal was to gather resident opinion and feedback on landscape and tree maintenance to evaluate and determine concerns and expectations of residents living within these respective LMD areas. The outreach consisted of an online survey focused on landscape improvements and tree maintenance and designed to identify what improvement and enhancement features matter most to residents. 

• LMD  Survey Results  

Background

A Landscape Maintenance District, or LMD, is an area identified to provide benefiting property owners the option to pay for enhanced landscaping, and other improvements, and services beyond those generally provided by the City.

The Public Works Department manages assessment districts for traffic signals, street lighting and landscaping. Districts are administered pursuant to the Landscaping and Lighting Act.

For more information on LMDs, please see the FAQs (in the right column) or contact Public Works at (858) 668-4700.

LMD Funding

Under Proposition 218, the City cannot raise assessments to meet the rising costs without a vote of all parcels that receive what the State terms a "special benefit" from the landscape improvements. An independent engineering review is needed to determine which parcels receive special benefit from the existing landscape improvements. By law, the City cannot simply raise the assessments of those currently assessed.

Ballot History

In March 2018, properties in two LMDs facing critical budget shortfalls received ballots to create re-engineered landscape maintenance districts. The ballot measures to restore and improve service levels received a majority protest and therefore failed to create a re-engineered district. Moving forward, properties in LMD 83-1 and LMD 86-1 will continue to be assessed at their current rate. 

In April 2019, commercial properties in LMD 87-1 (within the Poway Business Park) received a ballot to address the funding shortfall and establish an annual consumer price index (CPI). The ballot measure was successful, and the commercial properties were detached from LMD 87-1 and annexed into the re-engineered LMD 19-1 with an annual CPI not to exceed 3 percent. The purpose of the CPI is to keep the current service level and reinvest in landscaping and maintenance. (Click on the 87-1 image below for information on the vote in that district and a link to the current engineer's report, which outlines the district's budget.)