A random survey finds La Jollans overwhelming favoring a visionary proposal by contractor Tom Grunow to restore the luster to the La Jolla Cultural Zone by “greening” it and making it more walkable.
Grunow has proposed taking steps, including building an underground parking structure beneath La Jolla Recreation Center at 615 Prospect St., to enhance the existing La Jolla Cultural Zone.
The contractor outlined his preliminary vision in a recent charrette attended by numerous community stakeholders.
“This is a good idea that will invigorate La Jolla’s Cultural District, improve the usability of the Rec Center, and help ease our parking shortage,” said landscape architect Jim Neri. “While it won’t be easy, it will advance the project if we just get out of our own way and provide a community endorsement for it in concept. The rest will follow traditional requirements (geotechnical investigation, traffic, air quality, etc.) that would unearth potential problems … or we could take a page out of the Lindbergh Field flight plan and study alternatives for 25 years before building it anyway.”
“The La Jolla Rec Center board members voted unanimously to support the concept under the conditions that the parking garage did not delay our playground renovation unreasonably, and that it will not impact our very limited play area in any way space wise, environmentally, or otherwise,” said Mary Coakley Munk. “This is a project that has great potential merit and, to my knowledge, there has never been a project in La Jolla where anyone has worked as hard as Tom Grunow to vet the pros and cons with as many community members, groups, facilities, etc. La Jolla has so much potential, but until everyone can decide that they are willing to work for the good of the community … Whether the underground garage is good for the community, or not, needs to be determined by open minds.”
Loosely defined, La Jolla’s Cultural Zone is a broad area surrounding the rec center comprising 17 historical sites including Wisteria Cottage, Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (closed for reconstruction), La Jolla Woman’s Club and La Valencia Hotel.
There are an additional 28 historical cottages associated with the zone. Among them, Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) cottages in La Jolla Shores, and the Red Roost & Red Rest beach bungalows overlooking the Cove.
“I know first hand how difficult it is to get new ideas implemented in our Village and down at the City,” said Sheila Fortune, executive director of La Jolla Village Merchants Association. “We need leaders like Tom Grunow, who are willing to step out with their voices and get some of these great ideas energy and community support. This Village has been living in the past glory days for far too long. The charrette that Tom put together was thoughtful, professional, and is exactly the kind of forum that needs to be implemented for our entire Village. With that energy and community support, La Jolla can look as beautiful and our Village can thrive again.”
Parking in the cultural zone is a primary concern of La Valencia managing director Mark DiBella.
“The Village of La Jolla continues to fall behind other older and newly emerging San Diego mixed-use communities which also have retail, restaurants, entertainment and residences combined – this is in part due to a lack of available parking,” DiBella said. “I support the proposal for the addition of public parking and endorse projects where parking facilities do not impede on the public visuals. Underground parking at the La Jolla Rec Center is an ideal match for the community with a location benefiting multiple vested parties.”
DiBella added a key to the parking proposal “is that the facility includes security, ample lighting and state-of-the-art parking access and market parking rates. … The charm and ambiance of the Village can be retained through thoughtful and forward planning while also ensuring that the needs of today’s urban market demographics are met.”
Longtime La Jolla civic activist Joe LaCava urged Grunow and supporters to “stay the course.”
“Continue to listen to everyone, and incorporate good ideas,” urged LaCava. “Be modest in claiming momentum.”
LaCava added he appreciated “the extraordinary effort and passion at play here.”
Bill Kellogg of the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club was on board with the cultural-zone proposal.
“There is almost unanimous recognition that our Jewel needs some polishing,” said Kellogg. “Tom’s passion and willingness to include as many people in the process of developing great plans for the park should be celebrated by the community. Let’s keep this project moving ahead and kudos to Tom for taking the lead.”