The Peninsula Community Planning Board (PCPB) voted 5-4-1 not to appeal a recent city Planning Commission ap-proval for a permit for the Peeling hilltop subdivision.
The advisory group had voted unanimously in October to appeal the project, which some feel is out of character with the neighborhood, lacks sufficient emergency-vehicle access and poses an environmental threat to the unstable Sunset Cliffs.
At its December meeting, the PCPB also heard a presentation from High Tech High, a charter school specializing in math, science and engineering in Liberty Station in Point Loma, on its plans to redevelop a building on its campus into an elementary school.
Additionally, the group granted a three-year time extension for a proposed mixed-use development on Voltaire Street.
The Peeling project calls for subdividing an existing one-acre site into five new lots, as well as as construction of three new single-family homes at 3340 and 3328 Harbor View Drive.
Developer Mark Peeling defended his project, claiming it meets all applicable zoning conditions and codes.
“I’m asking reconsideration of your vote,” Peeling said, noting he’d sent a long letter to the advisory group detailing his project’s purported benefits.
Peeling asked how many planning board members had actually walked the project site. Most said they had.
Several of Peeling’s neighbors near the proposed redevelopment site turned out to the meeting to share their belief that it wasn’t Peeling or his project itself they opposed, but rather its proposed placement.
“There’s nothing but sandstone up there and the hill has been sloughing off,” said neighbor Ann Walker. “There’s no room for fire trucks to come up there with cars blocking the way. It’s a big problem. Building houses up there is going to make the problem worse.”
“It’s fill-dirt on top of sandstone,” said neighbor Frank O’Dwyer. “We don’t want anybody to be injured.”
In answer to audience questions, Peeling said he planned to put in a retaining wall and secure the hillside with deep-driven pylons.
“It will be better than what’s up there now,” he said.
Responding to neighbors’ preference that he build two houses on site instead of three, Peeling said, “I’m leaning toward doing that, but I can’t promise I’m going to do that.”
Meanwhile, Paul Dooley of High Tech High filled planners in on school redevelopment.
He said plans are in the works to convert a building that was once a Navy fitness center at the former Naval Training Center for new use as a K-5 elementary school, with a maximum of 460 students and 75 onsite parking spaces that are slated to open in the fall of 2015.
“The building itself will block sounds from the children’s play area,” he said. “There will be a crossing guard at the school during drop-off and pick-up times,” Dooley said, adding ample public parking is located nearby, much of it in park space near the school.
Claude-Anthony Marengo of Marengo Morton Architects in La Jolla gave a brief presentation asking for a three-year time extension involving a proposed mixed-use project with apartments above street-level commercial use, with enclosed parking at 3903-3911 Voltaire St. near Sunshine Liquor.
“The site is for sale and we’re waiting to see what’s going to happen to the project with the new owners,” Marengo said.
He also said there is ample parking for the proposed redevelopment.
The PCPB voted 8-1-1 in favor of granting a time extension for the project.