If approved, Bird Rock’s form-based code could do more than the planned district ordinance (PDO) to restrict the bulk and scale of buildings in the community’s commercial district, according to several Bird Rock Community Council (BRCC) members and residents who attended a Feb. 6 informational meeting on the project.
Form-based code (FBC), a building plan based on community input that would apply to a three-block radius along La Jolla Boulevard, was presented for the second time Tuesday evening to an audience with concerns about the allowance of third-story buildings, parking issues and traffic congestion. Six additional meetings will be held at La Jolla’s Masonic Lodge before March 20, when the BRCC will vote on the document.
The plan was created as a response to the Bird Rock Station project proposal unveiled in May 2006, when project architects Mark Lyon and Michael Morton proposed an amendment to the PDO that would allow for increased floor-area ratio (FAR) and third-story buildings. The plan was met by resident opposition, and District 1 City Councilman/City Council President Scott Peters asked design consultants Michael Stepner and Howard Blackson to work with the community on a plan reflecting its needs and wants.
“The difference between the PDO and the FBC is that the PDO has no setbacks, so developers can come up all the way to the sidewalk, and the FBC recognizes this issue,” Joe LaCava, BRCC member, said during the presentation.
LaCava used a photo of the Starbucks building as an example of businesses infringing on residents’ property.
He drew a black line on the photo to distinguish how the same structure could be built under the FBC with more space between the commercial and residential properties. Proponents of the FBC argued that increased development in Bird Rock was inevitable and that the document would prevent bulky structures that obstruct views, such as the Seahaus buildings along La Jolla Boulevard.
“Revitalization is going to put more traffic in the neighborhood, and that’s not going to change or be any different whether we choose the PDO or the FBC,” resident and FBC panel member George Sutton said.
BRCC President Pennie Carlos indicated that one advantage of the FBC is that it mandates the preservation of view corridors that allow people to see from La Jolla Boulevard down to the shoreline. The PDO does not contain language to assure that, Carlos said.
Michael Stepner, one of the consultants involved in creating the FBC, was present at the meeting and expressed his belief that counting on-street parking spaces in the FBC was important to improving the customer experience because it required people to move their vehicles less often, encouraged them to stay longer and decreased alley traffic.
BRCC member Paul Metcalf also pointed to some community members’ hope that buildings designed under the code would encourage people to walk to their destinations instead of driving.
Bird Rock restaurant owner David Heine stated that more on-street parking would be necessary before small lots and alley parking was banned in Bird Rock.
“My restaurant had two tables full before I came over here tonight, and I had 10 employees parked in the back, and we didn’t have any spaces left out on the street,” Heine said. “I would venture that 85 percent of resident customers are driving. If we block off these side streets and alleys [to parking], we are going to have a major failure.”
Several residents expressed their opposition to the FBC’s allowance for third-story buildings, although panel members explained that a third-story element would be restricted to only the center area of La Jolla Boulevard and the middle portion of the buildings that are set back 25 feet from the street, 30 feet from the alley and 5 feet from side lots.
The PDO has no setback requirements for the front, rear or sides of commercial buildings on alleys, which is the case in Bird Rock, LaCava said.
Resident Herb Page questioned whether the setup of such buildings would be considered a practical use by developers. Cindy Thorsen, a member of the No Third Stories organization, said she believes the FBC plan would increase the intensity of commercial use in Bird Rock.
Michael Krambs, property owner and developer, said he was concerned with the FBC review process, stating he felt that a neutral committee, including both residential and commercial property owners, should make decisions on the code.
“No commercial property owners were put on the BRCC committee to review the FBC,” he said. “It’s not in the spirit of fairness in America and we are talking about the significant infringement of my rights as a property owner.”
Carlos, joined by BRCC member Martin Bunzl, said several commercial property owners were invited to meetings.
“You bought the property with the allowance of two stories only,” Bunzl said to Krambs. “There has been no unfairness and no taking of property rights. I have seen every attempt of this community to move forward get taken over and seized by those from the outside.”
BRCC member Darcy Ashley said she also opposes the FBC document and suggested that residents reconsider a series of 12 proposed amendments to the PDO, which were developed by Bird Rock residents prior to the Bird Rock Station proposal.
“The PDO is still a good, vital document even 25 years after it was developed,” Ashley said, pointing out that the PDO has more predictability. “It takes courage to say, ‘That was a worthwhile project, we learned a lot, but the FBC may not be for us.'”
The remaining public meetings will be held from 9 to 11 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 24, and 6 to 8 p.m. Monday, Feb. 26, at La Jolla’s Masonic Lodge, 5655 La Jolla Blvd.
A community dinner meeting at Midori Sushi is scheduled for March 6 to discuss recommendations generated from the meeting series, and a special Bird Rock community meeting will be held March 20 at Bird Rock Elementary to vote on the FBC.
For more information, visit www.birdrock.org.