LJCPA president’s appeal never filed After contentious debate on the issue, the La Jolla Community Planning Association (LJCPA) voted during its meeting on Sept. 1 to commend Matt Peterson and his clients for their civic mindedness and for changes made to their project, located at 1912 Spindrift Drive, that conforms to the LJCPA’s original concerns. The debate over the motion was stimulated from the fact that after last month’s meeting, the LJCPA voted to appeal the hearing officer’s approval of the project. Yet the appeal was never filed with the city. During last month’s LJCPA meeting, the project’s architect, LJCPA President Tony Crisafi, recused himself from the project hearing as attorney Matt Peterson presented the project on Crisafi’s behalf. Rob Whittemore, LJCPA vice president, took charge of the meeting during that time. Following some discussion of the project, the trustees voted to appeal the hearing officer’s approval due mainly to opposition to the design’s requirement for parking in the front yard. Phil Merton, the LJCPA trustee who spearheaded the opposition to the project and was charged with filing the appeal, cited that approval of a project with front-yard parking would set a horrible precedent for future projects in La Jolla Shores. Merton — who was absent at the Sept. 1 meeting — sent a letter to the trustees indicating that the project had recently been revised to alleviate the trustees’ concerns from their previous meeting in August. “I met briefly with Matt Peterson and reviewed drawings of the revised design with an enclosed parking garage and automobile stacking lift accommodating two cars. That revised design is before you this evening,” Merton stated in the letter. “In my opinion, the location of the garage with the proposed parking lift as depicted in the revised design now complies with the single-family zone development regulations of the La Jolla Shores PDO and the general parking regulations of the San Diego Municipal Code. As such, I urge you to approve the revised design. Secondly, I would like to recognize Matt Peterson and publicly thank him for his role in persuading his plan to revise the project’s design to alleviate the concerns of the La Jolla CPA.” Because an appeal was not filed before the deadline, the city gave coastal development permits to the project’s developers who intend to move forward with the revised design plans. Peterson addressed the LJCPA trustees at the meeting regarding their concerns with the project. “We wanted to show you that we are listening to you, we are responding to you. We’re showing good faith,” he said. “Sometimes it take a little back and forth, but I think in final analysis, we’ve had two or three projects now that have been greatly improved as a result of this process.” He also spoke to several trustees’ concerns that the LJCPA president still should have filed the appeal regardless of the fact that it was his own project. “If he’s conflicted from participating in the hearing itself as president, he is also conflicted in filing an appeal for a project he’s an architect for,” Peterson said. Peterson said that in speaking with Merton, the issue of the appeal was never discussed. “I think really what happened is that Phil was directed to do it, and he felt that this met his concerns and most of yours. Maybe he decided not to do it. Maybe he forgot to do it when he was leaving on vacation. I don’t know,” Peterson said. “I didn’t go meet with Phil and say, ‘Will you not file an appeal?’ It was never an issue. We never talked about it.” Despite some concerns, most of the trustees agreed that so long as the presentation was treated as information only and no action vote was taken for the project’s approval or disapproval, commending the efforts of the applicant for good-will efforts was appropriate. LJCPA searching for funding Trustee Joe LaCava proposed an idea for a supplemental mechanism for anonymous donations to the LJCPA through the La Jolla Town Council Foundation, a nonprofit organization that exists to fund and assist positive community projects in La Jolla. The motion was not passed due to trustee concerns of the LJCPA’s association with another local nonprofit organization. “Any connection at all with another group is wrong because people might think that we are biased by another organization,” said LJCPA trustee Cindy Thorsen. LJCPA Vice President Rob Whittemore suggested the board look into an alternative mechanism for anonymous donations made to the LJCPA through the San Diego Foundation instead because it is not a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. The only source of funds for the LJCPA is by cash-only anonymous donations at the monthly meetings. Public to get beautification overview The La Jolla Parks and Beaches Committee will host a “Beautification of Coast Boulevard Walkway” community workshop for La Jollans to become oriented with the Children’s Pool site and history of the La Jolla Coastline Plan, discuss options for improvements, suggest funding sources and view design plans for the new lifeguard tower and restroom atop Children’s Pool Park. “At registration, people will receive a questionnaire about what they see — what they like and dislike — and how it can be improved,” said Phyllis Minick, La Jolla Parks and Beaches treasurer and sponsor of the workshop. “Based on community recommendations, landscape architect Jim Neri will establish an architectural plan for the Children’s Pool area.” The community workshop will take place on Oct. 1 from 8 a.m. to noon at the Children’s Pool lifeguard station. For more information, contact [email protected]. Fresh approach to appeal procedures The LJCPA voted to approve three of four policy recommendations proposed by trustee Devin Burstein, chair of the ad hoc committee on operating policies. The LJCPA approved the committee’s recommendation for the LJCPA to retain operating policies and have the policies submitted to the city for approval, delete the policies of March 6, 2008 as a duplicate of those on Jan. 8, 2009 and adopt the ad hoc committee-created appeal procedures presented to the LJCPA trustees. The appeal procedures included a “whereas clause” which would make all projects that were determined “adverse decisions” by the LJCPA come back to the planning association for an affirmative vote to appeal. Currently, the LJCPA files an automatic appeal when the appeal period runs out prior to the next meeting. “The main idea is to encourage the applicant and the city to schedule hearings so we don’t run into the problem of an automatic appeal,” Burstein said. “In the rare instance when an automatic appeal occurs, the president is required to file the appeal and at the next meeting the item is placed on the agenda and we can vote to ratify the appeal or not.” The committee’s proposal to delete a policy that entitles the LJCPA to govern the operating policies and procedures of the Community Joint Committees and Boards will be considered at the LJCPA’s next meeting on Oct. 6. Other community news • The LJCPA voted to appeal the city hearing officer’s approval of the proposed development at 8470 Whale Watch Way. • The LJCPA approved street closures on Girard Avenue between Pearl and Genter streets from Sept. 30 to Oct. 2 for the La Jolla Art and Wine Festival and street closures of Girard and Prospect streets on Dec. 4 for the 54th annual La Jolla Christmas Parade and Holiday Festival. The La Jolla Traffic and Transportation committee approved both actions during its board meeting on Aug. 25. • The LJCPA approved the city’s proposed storm drain improvements, slope repair and revegetation on environmentally sensitive lands in a canyon adjacent to two residences on Via Rialto. • The Nooren Residence and Riford Center projects were pulled from the consent agenda for reconsideration. The projects will be discussed at the LJCPA’s next meeting on Oct. 6.