About the MAD

The North Park Maintenance Assessment District (MAD) is a voter-approved special district under state law, allowing property owners to assess themselves to pay for and receive services above and beyond what the City normally provides in the areas of street lights, street cleaning, and landscape maintenance.

The North Park MAD was created in 1996 and was approved by a majority vote of property owners in 1998. Single family residences and condos are assessed at a flat rate, commercial property is assessed based upon the size of the property, and multifamily residences are assessed using a formula based on the number of units.

MAD activities are governed by the fiscal year 2021 Assessment Engineers Report (AER) for the North Park Assessment District , which outlines the scope of benefits to be provided by the MAD and the district boundaries for the MAD. Any changes to the Engineer’s Report must be approved by a majority vote of property owners within the district.

Who decides how MAD funds are spent?  Working with a community advisory committee, City staff prepares a budget each year which reflects the maintenance projects authorized by the AER and the needs of the district as identified by the Advisory Committee. The Advisory Committee is a volunteer group comprised of members representing various community groups active in North Park and at least one resident homeowner. The Committee’s function is to advise City staff on how to allocate assessment money and to act as an oversight group to ensure the work is being accomplished. The Committee meets almost every month and the meetings are open to the public. The AER and other documents can be found on the City of San Diego’s Maintenance Assessment District web page.

Meetings: The North Park MAD meets the second Monday of the month at 6 p.m.  In light of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the committee is currently meeting via videoconferencing – access instructions are below.

Links to the next meeting’s agenda, attachments, and online access information are below:

• Meeting Agenda: May 8, 2023
• NPMAD Staff Report May 2023
• FY24 PROPOSED Budget

Current North Park MAD Documents:

1. Bylaws (as amended 8/10/2020)
2. FY22 Budget- North Park MAD
3. Proposed FY23 MAD Budget

MAD projects and services: The MAD has financed special benefit services in two areas, Capital Improvements and Maintenance Projects.

Capital Improvements:

1. Installation of 150 additional mid block streetlights;
2. Planting of over 200 trees along streets in the public median; and
3. Preliminary design for the Switzer Canyon Bridge Enhancement Project.

Maintenance Projects:

1. Maintenance of the trees planted by the MAD plus the ability to maintain over 200 additional street trees planted by other entities and community groups;
2. Maintenance of the landscape median along El Cajon Boulevard between Park Boulevard and I-805;
3. Cleaning, maintenance and energy costs for the El Cajon Blvd. and North Park community signs;
4. Maintenance of streetscape improvements along University Avenue and 30^th Street;
5. Additional street cleaning along El Cajon Blvd, University Avenue, and 30^th Street including sidewalk steam cleaning in certain areas.
6. Maintenance of the North Park portal at University and I-805;
7. Additional trimming of trees in the public median when they pose a safety hazard;
8. Miscellaneous rebate funding for sidewalk repairs in conjunction with City programs; and
9. Maintenance of the Switzer Canyon Bridge project when completed.