Despite pleas, CPA ratifies appeal of project LJCPA trustees decided to move forward with an appeal of the city Planning Commission’s Oct. 20 decision to grant the property located at 8490 Whale Watch Way a mitigated negative declaration. Trustee Phil Merton argued the project is “simply too big for that location.” “According to the applicant’s calculation of gross floor area, the floor area ratio is 41 percent larger than would be allowed on any other similar lot in La Jolla,” he said. “The applicant’s calculation didn’t include 1,800 square feet of roof deck at the upper floor level. If we consider that, the result in floor area is 60 percent greater than would be allowed anywhere else in the city.” Architect James Brown, who represented the property at the meeting, contested that Merton’s measurement assessments were incorrect. “Everything you told the Planning Commission was completely erroneous,” he said to Merton. “The people at the Planning Commission know that, but you’re giving information as if it is factual, but it is not.” He also iterated the importance of trustees watching the Planning Commission’s hearing before voting on whether or not to move forward with an appeal. “It is really important that you see the content of the hearing if you are going to appeal their finding,” he said. “It was a unanimous decision. They praised our project from the top to the bottom, and they refuted Mr. Merton’s arguments from the top to the bottom.” Despite Brown’s pleas, the LJCPA voted in favor of ratifying the appeal of the environmental documents, which was automatically filed by the president because the deadline for appeals would have passed prior to the CPA’s meeting on Nov. 3. Large LJ Farms house is too large for some neighbors’ tastes The Encore Trust residence project, located at 9872 La Jolla Farms Road, was sent back to the Development Permit Review Committee (DPR) because of neighbors’ concerns about public view corridors, the bulk and scale, FAR, and setback of the residence. Some neighbors also stated they were not notified about the project until LJCPA trustees visited the site on the day of the meeting. Trustee Joe LaCava — who presented the project on behalf of the applicants — said although they informed the immediate neighbors who would be most affected by the project, he was willing to return to DPR to fully hear all of the neighbors’ concerns. “This is a big house, we’re not going to deny that,” said LaCava. He iterated, however, that the size and scale fits that of the La Jolla Farms neighborhood, an area that contains large homes — 20,000-square-feet at minimum — on large three-quarter to one-acre lots. “I think we all recognize that La Jolla Farms is a much different enclave of homes than any other part of La Jolla. It’s a group of homes on very large lots,” he said. “With those larger lots, you get larger houses.” LaCava emphasized the project would be built within the height, FAR and setback requirements as required by its conventional zoning. It will also maintain the public view corridor and will fully respect a coastal access pathway adjacent to the property. Neighbors, on the other hand, disagree, saying the property’s unadmitted below-grade square footage makes the property 30,000 square feet, which is overwhelming for a lot set on a steep, largely unusable slope. LaCava said neighbors have gotten used to seeing the two small properties that have been on the lot for many years. “You can clearly see that this structure — that is built within the setbacks and the height requirements — is going to change what people see from their house,” he said. DPR will review the project on Dec. 13 at 4 p.m. Open space receives backing from CPA Will Anderson, programs manager for San Diego Canyonlands, presented the board with a proposal to dedicate 10,000 acres of city-owned natural open space to a San Diego Regional Canyonlands Park. “Dedication does two things basically. It protects the land as city-owned land, and it restricts use to parks, recreation or open-space uses,” he said, adding that the “open-space uses” can range from open-space habitat, trails or developed park and recreation, including soccer fields or tennis courts — all of which would be subject to environmental inspection. Roads and utilities would be allowed on open space properties even after they are dedicated. There is no additional cost, maintenance requirements or change of management once the land is dedicated, and reversal of any dedicated space would require a two-thirds vote of the people, he said. La Jolla sites that are proposed for dedication include a small parcel of isolated hillside slope on Caminito Muirfield and the La Jolla bike path from Beaumont Avenue and Via Del Norte to Nautilus Street and Fay Avenue, totaling approximately 15 acres in the La Jolla planning area. “We’ve done a very good job at preserving them up until now, but we need to lock them in,” Anderson said. The LJCPA voted to support the San Diego Canyonlands’ proposal to dedicate the La Jolla sites as well as the approximately 10,000-acre citywide endeavor. The organization hopes to have the parcel list thoroughly vetted by the public, completed, and dedicated by August 2012. For more information, visit www.sdcanyonlands.org or call (619) 284-9399. In other news • The LJCPA voted to send a letter to the city supporting the La Jolla Parks and Beaches’ efforts to restore public parking spaces along Coast Walk. • The LJCPA sent a letter to the city urging the reversal of a draft mitigated negative declaration for the Children’s Pool lifeguard station project proposal, stating the draft declaration should be corrected to address the issues of land use, planning and aesthetics in the La Jolla Community Plan. • The Opus Bank signage, Sauvage lot line adjustment and demolition, Chao residence site development permit, and Heritage project’s coastal and site development permits were approved by the board. • Issuance of a coastal development permit for the Shahbaz residence and street closure for the La Jolla Concours D’Elegance event will be heard at LJCPA’s next meeting on Dec. 1. • The LJCPA denied a neighborhood use permit to Hennessey’s for the addition of a corralled sidewalk café in front of the restaurant because of trustees’ concerns that it breaks up the sidewalk’s straightaway and doesn’t address safety issues that were brought up by members of the Development Permit Review committee in October.