The Julian Community Heritage Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the betterment of the Julian and backcountry community. Our association will support this mission through lobbying and advocacy, awareness raising campaigns, community outreach, as well as collaborating with local citizens, stakeholders and authorities.
Our primary objective at this time is the creation of a Julian Town Square on the corner of Main and Washington Streets. A town square is usually found in the heart of a community and is an epicenter for gatherings and community events such as open markets, music concerts, theater and the arts. It’s a centrally located town space for people to gather. This corner lot in Julian is the perfect location for the establishment of such a town square. We believe it is the most forward thinking development strategy for the empty lot, which will benefit our community and enhance our town.
For far too many years now, this lot has remained a barren and empty space. Our community has watched the years pass by while this beautiful and strategically located property has remained unused. We believe it’s time to change that and we need your help to make it happen. The town square project is being proposed for the vacant corner lot. We’ve received donations that have gone towards acquiring the lot. The next step will be to raise funds for the development phase.
Previously, we partnered up with the nonprofit Community Action, Service and Advocacy (CASA) and they were our fiscal agent and sponsor in the beginning of the process. Currently, the Julian Community Heritage Foundation is its own registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. All proceeds go towards the funding of the town square project.
The Julian Town Square will help enhance and beautify Main Street. It will also help enhance our historical appeal and provide a public space for people to gather. We plan to use the space for farmers market/art and gift fairs, open air performances (music, theater, etc.) and other community events. We look forward to transforming this empty lot into a beautiful community space that will benefit us all.
A lot has been accomplished since we first announced the Town Square Project:
– Chevron donated $10,000 seed money.
– Preliminary lot designs have been approved in concept by both the Julian Planning Group and the Julian Architectural Review Board.
– Supervisor Dianne Jacobs provided $110K in county NRP (Neighborhood Reinvestment Program) and CE (Community Enhancement Program) grant funds.
– Julian Lodge owners, Bob Schultz and Mike Peckham assisted in the negotiation of the lot purchase and have donated over $100K
– JCHF received $330k in PLDO funds from the San Diego County
– Over 100 individuals and organizations also donated over $60K.
With your donations and support, we look forward to transforming the “corner lot” into our very own Julian Town Square park. DONATE NOW to the development phase of the Julian Town Square. With a variety of accolade levels, this is your opportunity to be a part of the project for many years to come.
The park will be developed in a series of phases. Below is a rough, preliminary outline of the phases.
Design Phase:
- Chevron to remove previous monitoring equipment – Completed in November 2021
- Finalize preliminary design with San Diego County Planning Department and the Julian Architectural Review Board
- Proceed through the County permitting process
Construction Phase 1:
- Rough grading of the lot
- Installation of infrastructure (electrical, irrigation, footings, etc.)
- Raised planter construction
- Installation of plants and trees
- Installation of site furnishings, bathrooms and water tower
- Grading for walkways and paths
Construction Phase 2:
- Stage construction
- Installation of stone amphitheater seating
