Flora, fauna, and surfboards

The San Diego Unified Port District is set to spend nearly a quarter-million dollars installing a 950-foot section of fencing along Palm Avenue where southern San Diego meets Imperial Beach, port officials announced October 17.

The fencing will run along the edge of a 95-acre property known as Pond 20, which the port acquired in 1998. Since the port began seeking uses for the site two years ago, proposals have included restoration of coastal tidelands, creation of athletic fields for Gaelic sports such as hurling, and construction of a massive "historical dinner theater" compound.

Beginning in November, Oceanside-based Greenfield Fence will begin construction on the $223,600 project, which will "incorporate local flora, fauna and surfboards to enhance the site's unique, panoramic bay view."

The new fence, which will be erected at a cost of roughly $235 per linear foot, replaces existing chain link and is based on winning designs from among several floated to the local community in a contest last year.