Hillel “” the nonprofit group proposing to build a controversial Jewish student center at 8976 Cliffridge Ave. “” received its first vote on the matter at July’s meeting of the La Jolla Traffic & Transportation subcommittee, whose members recommended denial of the project.
“They are not a decision maker and neither is La Jolla CPA (Community Planning Association),” Hillel attorney Joshua Richman said. “Their role is to make recommendations to the community planning association. They sit solely in an advisory capacity.”
Richman said the committee denied the project on grounds of insufficient parking and because the site has a phantom road “” called a paper street “” adjacent to its lot.
“A street runs adjacent through the property; we’re asking, since there’s no plan to use the street, to give it to us in the sale. People do that all the time,” Richman said. “To eliminate a paper street or vacate a street there has to be certain findings made. The city made findings before, and nothing’s changed.”
This is Hillel’s second project for Jewish college students on the same site ” a .76-acre lot at La Jolla Village Drive, between Torrey Pines Road and La Jolla Scenic Way. The organization’s first project became tied up in litigation when La Jolla Shores Association sued Hillel over its environmental report, mainly concerning traffic and raptors.
Richman presented Hillel to La Jolla’s Permit Review Subcommittee, but after two hours, the group couldn’t come to a consensus on the project, according to Richman. So although LJCPA expected to hear Hillel’s full presentation at its August meeting, the presentation has been pushed to September, Richman said.
“They were never formally on the agenda,” said LJCPA President Joe LaCava, adding that once Richman went through La Jolla’s subcommittees, he could bring Hillel to LJCPA.
LaCava said the public could hear the Hillel project during September’s LJCPA, after the organization went through the subcommittees.
Regarding La Jolla Shores Permit Review Subcommittee, LaCava said, “It’s not unusual [for the group] to ask for projects to come before them twice. They try to get some more information.”
Richman will represent Hillel at La Jolla’s subcommittees and then take the project to September’s LJCPA for a recommendation.
LaCava said LJCPA trustees will take recommendations from each subcommittee “” such as Traffic & Transportation’s denial regarding traffic “” then present their recommendation to the planning commission.
“We’ll present it as a package to the [commissioners],” LaCava said. “We can accept the recommendation of trustees or present something else.”
“We go to La Jolla CPA in September, then to the Planning Commission and then the City Council,” Richman said. “We continue to move forward with our project. We have no major deviations from the municipal code.”
Hillel will return to La Jolla Permit Review subcommittee on Tuesday, Aug. 26 at 4 p.m. at La Jolla Recreation Center, 615 Prospect St. Richman will make Hillel’s next full presentation at LJCPA Thursday, Sept. 4 at 6 p.m.
For more information, go to http://www.lajollacpa.org. For more information about Hillel’s project, or to view documents, go to www.ucsdhillel.org/project.