La Jolla Community Planning Association (LJCPA) will listen to the public regarding Bird Rock Station, catalyst for the No Third Story movement, during its monthly meeting this Thursday evening, June 5.
“Our public meeting tonight won’t have any discussion,” said Joe LaCava, acting president of LJCPA and the Bird Rock Community Council (BRCC), of the June 4 BRCC meeting. “We’re directing people to go to the planning meeting on Thursday. I hate to speculate about what will happen, but it caught everybody by surprise. Suddenly we got this public notice and it didn’t give the public any time to act.”
Project developer Mark Lyon said a lot of disinformation has been disseminated. The design isn’t violating the code, just deviating from the PDO, Lyon said. Although other three-story buildings exist, Lyon said his design conforms to the height limit.
“I’ve received support from hundreds of people in Bird Rock and La Jolla,” Lyon said. “Once people understand that we’re not violating the code, and we’re not exceeding the height limit or the density, then many people support it.”
After a respite of about 18 months, the project called Bird Rock Station prompted the No Third Story group and some residents to speak up. The mixed-use project planned for 5702 La Jolla Blvd. has a long and controversial history. In its initial planning stage, the condominium-retail project proposed three stories, but the area’s plan only allows two stories, LaCava said.
“I think [the public opposition is] a symbol of the three-story issue,” LaCava said. “Redevelopment is going to happen in Bird Rock.”
According to LaCava, the uproar of community members opposing Bird Rock Station was a symbol of their resistance to three stories, which he said cheapens the retail businesses.
“It really is about the three-story element,” LaCava said. “[Bird Rock Station] still has that [in the new plan] and I think if they removed that, the opposition would go away.”
According to nothirdstory.org, Michael Krambs, owner of the property, repeatedly brought new designs with Lyon to the community but citizens consistently turned away his ideas, because they included the three-story concept.
“It’s been through 35 community reviews,” Lyon said. “We’ve attended meetings from La Jolla and Bird Rock. During the community review process, the major design has changed.”
Bird Rock Station planned retail shops on the bottom level and condominiums for the upper floors, but the area’s community plan restricts building height to 30 feet, which limits all three levels’ ceiling height.
According to LaCava, three-story projects currently exist inside Bird Rock, but because of the height restriction, the retail spaces suffer.
“A 9-foot ceiling doesn’t give you good retail,” he said.
Neighbors pointed out another problem concerning three stories, especially on the alley sides, LaCava said.
Single-family residences see a significant difference between two and three stories, he said.
“They accept the fact you might have a condominium next door, but [with three stories] they’re having twice as many windows looking into your backyard,” he said.
According to Lyon, Bird Rock Station’s design solves these concerns by freeing space to move windows to face commercial areas.
“A three-story design will allow us to create more three-dimensionality to the units,” Lyon said. “We will have the opportunity to reduce the number of windows facing west.”
The LJCPA meets at 6 p.m. at La Jolla Recreation Center, 615 Prospect St. For information, visit www.lajollacpa.org.
Bird Rock Station is scheduled to be heard by the Planning Commission in one week, on June 12.
For info about No Third Story, go to www.nothirdstory.org.