Residents balked at the prospect of two 32-story towers going up at 4750 La Jolla Village Drive during the University Community Planning Group (UCPG) meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 14.
City council approved the project, called La Jolla Commons, back in 2000, but developer Makar Properties, LLC, has since amended the plans.
Makar intends to increase the hotel tower by 17 feet to a 32-story building (350 feet tall) in order to add 112 condominiums. The number of hotel rooms will subsequently be decreased by 114. The office tower has been scaled back five stories to a 15-story structure (220 feet tall). The condo tower is also 32 stories tall (348 feet).
The full plan includes a hotel and condo tower, both with underground parking, office tower, eight-level parking structure and scientific research center. Approximately 2,390 parking spaces will be provided, 200 more than required, according to developers.
Representatives of the contracted architect, Architectonica, showed renditions of looming skyscrapers in Hong Kong, Las Vegas, Miami, Peru and New York. Audience members responded with retorts of “University City is not New York City!”
“The community is going to have to decide whether to go after another tower or draw the limit and say we should have a height limit,” UC activist Deborah Knight said. “The community is at a pivotal point.”
Audience members compared the two 32-story towers to the pending Monte Verde project that proposes four 30- to 40-story towers on the corner of La Jolla Village Drive and Genesee Avenue. UC does not have a set height limit; each building is assessed separately.
Compared to Monte Verde, though, La Jolla Commons does not need a community plan amendment. The land was designated for such uses.
Development is expected to go forward. Grading is almost complete on the site; utilities have been installed. Construction of the buildings is expected to begin in the third or fourth quarter of this year.
Despite protests from one audience member that the project runs along the Accident Potential Zone (APZ) for aircraft, Miramar Marine Corps Air Station authorities have permitted developers to build the 350-foot towers, developers said.
Makar reminded the audience of the community benefits the project brings. Developers will pay to extend Judicial Drive past La Jolla Village Drive. Adding residential space and reducing hotel rooms will reduce traffic by 1,000 daily trips (vehicles). Those trips will apparently be “frozen,” and not passed onto another project to increase its permitted amount of traffic. Such a promise is not guaranteed, UCPG trustee George Lattimer countered.
In addition, developers will include nine affordable housing units in the building, and pay in-lieu fees for the other 27 required.
Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group will occupy the hotel. Residential will be high-end unlike anything seen in University City, developers said. UCPG will bring the project before the board again within the next few months to vote on the amendments.
In other business:
“¢ UCPG reaffirmed that land designated for scientific research should remain that way. As the city anticipates updating its general plan by the end of the year, city staff wishes to include a set map of prime industrial lands to deter developers from proposing alternative projects for prime industrial areas.
“We want to preserve and have place for those industries to expand and operate in San Diego instead of going elsewhere cheaper,” said Jean Cameron with the city’s planning department.
Residential units would only be allowed in prime industrial areas during a community plan update; community plan amendments would not be allowed.
UCPG unanimously supported adding the prime industrial map to the general plan.
“¢ Scripps Memorial Hospital wants to get its parking structure in place before it considers another phase of growth. The hospital informed UCPG that it plans to construct an eight-level, aboveground parking structure, adding approximately 1,300 parking spots, on a 39.2-acre site at 9888 Genesee Ave.
“We can provide great healthcare but we can’t do it in the car,” Scripps spokeswoman Lynne Heidel said. “We need to get people out of their cars first.”
The new structure also aims to improve the flow of traffic into the existing parking garage. Office space would be eliminated to accommodate the garage.
“¢ The city will insert a temporary ramp into the Rose Canyon creek bed to bring in equipment to raise the existing manhole. The repair will take place outside the breeding season for birds, which is generally from late February to March. UCPG did not object.
“¢ Confused or angered about Medicare Part D? Congresswoman Susan Davis will provide assistance and answer questions at a workshop on Saturday, March 18 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the San Diego Workforce Partnership Building, first floor, 3910 University Ave. To attend, RSVP to (619) 280 5353. Davis represents California’s 53rd Congressional District and is a Democrat.
UCPG meets the second Tuesday of every month at 6 p.m. at Forum Hall above the Wells Fargo Bank, 4315 La Jolla Village Drive. For information call UCPG Chair Linda Colley, (858) 453-0435, or e-mail [email protected].
UCPG will hold an election for six spots on the executive committee on March 14. Candidates include:
“¢ Incumbent George Lattimer for the Business 3 seat. Real estate developer Lattimer has served on the board for 20 years. Lattimer said that he believes in looking at the facts. He strongly supports following the community plan and wants to rush to get the Facilities Benefits Assessment (FBA) projects through.
“¢ Incumbent Randal Miles for the Business 2 Seat. Miles represent the landlords of University City. Miles said he support opens space and opposes the Regents Bridge, citing that 5,000 residents live on Regents Road so it should be kept quiet. Miles has served on the board for a year and a half.
“¢ Deryl Adderson for the Business 1 seat. He said he is new to the process but is willing to learn and make decisions based on the facts. Adderson has lived in University City for 26 years and owns a business in the area.
“¢ Petr Krysl for the Resident 3 seat. Krysl seeks to support the schools, shopping, the workplace and pedestrian ease. He said he advocates smart and sensitive development, is concerned about too much density and opposes the Regents Road Bridge.
“¢ Retired Navy Captain Marjorie Stevens for the Resident 2 seat. She said she is accustomed to working with money, ideas, making decisions and struggling to find the best solution. Stevens said she is appalled at bringing more people into the area, increasing density and destroying open land, and opposes the Regents Road Bridge and joint-use of Miramar for the San Diego airport.
“¢ Dana May for the Resident 1 seat, currently held by UCPG Chair Linda Colley. May has knocked on 100 doors seeking new UCPG members. He said he supports building Regents Road Bridge, has studied the environmental impact report (EIR) and believes the majority of the community is also in favor of the bridge.
“¢ Pat Wilson for the Resident 2 seat. Wilson was elected to the board last January. He said he strongly supports preserving the quality of life in University City and opposes negative impacts to the environment, including the Regents Road Bridge and joint-use with Miramar.
Members of the UCPG are eligible to vote. The public can join anytime but must have enrolled by Feb. 14 to vote in the March elections.