La Jolla Community Planning Association (LJCPA) endorsed an outdoor patio for an existing Starbucks, conditionally approved a church fall festival and initiated a public dialogue on community projects to be included in the city’s infrastructure budget at the group’s July meeting.
The board heard an item pulled from the previous month’s consent agenda in which Starbucks (previously World Savings Bank) at 1055 Torrey Pines Road is requesting a conditional use permit (CUP) to allow for approximately 1,099 square feet of outdoor patio seating in a commercial building.
The agenda item was pulled by former LJCPA trustee Mike Costello, who warned that putting additional outdoor seating at the restaurant adjoining busy Torrey Pines Road “was a bad idea.”
Trustee Myrna Naegle agreed.
“It’s dangerous, there’s a tremendous amount of traffic going into that driveway as it is now,” Naegle said.
Patrick Ahern said he frequents that Starbucks and has never had difficulty getting in or out.
“They need this outside space and it will create a sense of community. I like the idea,” he said.
Trustee Frances O’Neill Zimmerman liked the idea of Starbucks’ patio but said she thinks the store’s driveway “are terrible.”
Planner Phil Merten said he didn’t know why people would want to sit on a patio next to such a busy street, but added he thought Starbucks was appealing to a younger demographic that doesn’t seem to mind.
Representing Starbucks, architect Elizabeth Valerio discussed the patio expansion, noting the new patio would be constructed where the former bank’s drive-through was.
“It’s a very simple patio with couches, chairs and loose-floating tables,” Valerio said, adding the patio will be “a nice addition creating a pedestrian-friendly environment.”
The LJCPA vote was overwhelmingly in favor of granting the CUP for the project. Tresha Souza of Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Church gave a presentation detailing the church’s plans to close Kline Street from Girard to Ivanhoe avenues from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 9 so the church could host a fall street festival with arts and crafts booths. Planners sanctioned the proposal but required that flashing lights be placed on some street barricades so passersby will be able to see them in the dark. LJCPA vice president Joe LaCava began a dialogue on what community infrastructure projects should be included in the city’s fiscal year 2015 public infrastructure budget.
Noting prioritizing public infrastructure projects is something of a “wish list,” LaCava nonetheless pointed out it’s important to include them in the conversation on what needs to be done to keep them foremost in the public’s mind.
“We can resubmit the list of infrastructure projects from last year, or come up with new ideas,” said LaCava. The item will be discussed in greater length at LJCPA’s next meeting Aug. 1.
LJCPA meets the first Thursday of the month at 6 p.m. at La Jolla Rec Center, 615 Prospect St.