VILLAGE NEWS
Scott Appleby & Kerry ApplebyPayne
LA JOLLA
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858-775-2014
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THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2011
San Diego Community Newspaper Group
DRE#01197544 DRE#01071814
www.SDNEWS.com Volume 16, Number 46
LJCPA calls on Shores residents for ideas on development rules BY MARIKO LAMB | VILLAGE NEWS
BIRD ROCK takes it to
the park Bird Rock residents came out in force for the annual Bird Rock picnic on Aug. 2 in Calumet Park. The gathering lasted well into the evening as the sunset provided a scenic backdrop. Photos by Sharon Hinckley
is that it runs itself,” he said. “The BY KENDRA HARTMANN | VILLAGE NEWS neighbors tend to congregate and Bird Rock residents came togeth- enjoy each other’s company wither on Aug. 2 to take advantage of out any need to have specific events. the long summer days and perfect The children play on their own and summer weather for a neighbor- have a fantastic time. There’s no organization of events other than hood picnic in Calumet Park. Catered by Beaumont’s Neigh- inviting people to come on out.” Starting at 6 p.m. and continuborhood Eatery and hosted by the Bird Rock Community Council ing past sunset, neighbors munched (BRCC) and council president Joe on typical barbeque fare — burgParker, the picnic brought about ers, hot dogs, salads and desserts — 150 people out to enjoy each other’s while children climbed trees and company and the scenic overlook at dogs relaxed in the grass. The park, the park. The annual event, Parker Parker said, had been freshly said, is low-key and requires little groomed by the city’s maintenance department, and the grass was in maintenance. “The nice thing about the picnic great condition and fortuitously free
of pet waste. Taking place in lieu of an August BRCC meeting, the picnic is simply a time for Bird Rockers to enjoy their surroundings. “It’s just an opportunity for neighbors to get together, say hello to one another and celebrate great weather and an outstanding park,” Parker said. “It’s really a close gathering of friends and neighbors. “Plus,” he added, laughing, “it’s the one gathering where the neighborhood doesn’t have to listen to me drone on.” Regular BRCC meetings will resume on Sept. 6. For more information, visit www.birdrock.org.
Riford Center proposal clears PDO guidelines BY MARIKO LAMB | VILLAGE NEWS On Aug. 8, the La Jolla Planned District Ordinance Committee (PDO) voted unanimously that the Riford Center project, a proposed renovation of the adult fitness, learning and social facility located at 6811 La Jolla Blvd., complies with the PDO and keeps with the existing character of the community. Architect Michael Morton explained the materials, signage, colors and façade changes to the building, including reconstruction that would bring the building into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Proposed improvements include the reconstr uction of a restroom, the installation of new energyefficient lightThe Riford Center will undergo some renovations with the ing and renoapproval of the La Jolla PDO Committee. Some neighbors are vation of the concerned about a proposed side-entrance ramp, but the cour tyard. PDO claims it is out of their purview. MARIKO LAMB | Village News The facility will also get a facelift with fresh paint, new cobblestone and Windansea-themed tiling at the building’s main entrance. SEE RIFORD, Page 3
On Aug. 4, the La Jolla Community Planning Association (LJCPA) voted to recommend the City Council confirm that citywide floor-area ratio (FAR) requirements apply in La Jolla Shores without diminishing the effect of the other provisions in the La Jolla Shores Planned District Ordinance (LJSPDO). FAR is the ratio of a building’s total square footage in comparison to the size of its lot. According to Chapter 13 of the San Diego Municipal Code (SDMC), the permitted FAR of a residential lot that is 10,000 square feet is 0.55, meaning that on a 10,000square-foot lot, the proposed building must be no more than 5,500 square feet in total. When the LJSPDO was passed in 1974, leaders in the Shores decided not to incorporate the FAR measurement into the LJSPDO requirements. Instead, they decided to use alternative methods to measure and control the bulk and scale of proposed developments in the shores. In a letter by Michael Stepner, author of the La Jolla Shores Precise Plan and the LJSPDO, he explained why the FAR requirement was not incorporated as a tool to guide development in that neighborhood. “Because of the nature of that area, the city’s planning department felt that more specific design guidelines were required to ensure ‘fit’ of new development in the Shores,” he wrote. “Setback and height requirements, coupled with the design guidelines, was a much better tool to ensure ‘unity and variety’ with new projects.” According to LJCPA’s vice president Rob Whittemore, who proposed the motion, the lack of mention of an FAR requirement in the LJSPDO led years of contention. “During the 1980s, people wanted to build larger and larger homes, and they weren’t constrained by FARs, they were constrained by other considerations — compatibility with the neighborhood and other criteria,” he said. “By 1990, there was so much con-
tention that the planning department at the time said, ‘We no longer want to make these discretionary judgments required by the LJSPDO, we want to have a fixed number to go by.’” On Jan. 1, 2000, the LJSPDO was amended to incorporate all of Chapter 13 in the SDMC, including the citywide FAR requirement for all base zones. “For some reason, that was never implemented,” Whittemore said, urging the committee to make another attempt at enforcing the citywide FAR requirements by having City Council first confirm that the FARs do, in fact, apply in La Jolla Shores. Following one and a half hours of debate on the issue, the committee voted 8-5-2 to in favor of Whittemore’s motion. The debate over the adherence of citywide FARs in La Jolla Shores posed a larger question: Is there something wrong with the La Jolla Shores PDO? “I’m not opposed to the motion because I see it as a Band-Aid to fix what is a bigger problem,” said trustee Laura Ducharme-Conboy. “I think the PDO in La Jolla Shores is broken.” Ducharme-Conboy, who designs houses in La Jolla Shores, said she sees no adherence to the LJSPDO’s requirement that the desired character of residences in the area contain “low rambling silhouettes.” “We’ve had what I call bracketcreep. One house gets a little bigger, and the next house — because the PDO says ‘blend in with your neighbors’ – that house gets a little bigger, and the next house gets a little bigger. Before we know it, a large number of houses in La Jolla Shores are bigger than anywhere else in any other neighborhood,” she said. “It’s like we’re left without any protection whatsoever. The city seems to apply the PDO in one way and the community groups seem to apply it in another.” Several La Jolla Shores residents came to the meeting to state their view of the situation in their neighborhood. “I’ve seen a tremendous change in
SEE FAR, Page 5
FOOD FIGHT! When anemones get hungry, who gets the bigger portion? The ensuing tug-o-war might be more exciting than you think.
Tide lines, Page 7