La Jolla Shores Tomorrow (LJST) is an ad hoc committee created by Vaughn Woods and Dale Naegle that “seeks to preserve the charm of La Jolla Shores,” according to the group’s Facebook page. The catalyst for the creation of LJST and the notable development that the committee opposes is the Whitney Project — a controversial three-story mixed-use building proposal by Bob and Kim Whitney on their corner lot, located at the corner of Avenida de la Playa and Paseo Grande. The Whitneys’ proposed development includes a 2,300-square-foot retail space on the street level with two stories of condominiums above and a parking structure below. “The Whitney Project is a mixed-use project that substantially alters the existing charm and character of La Jolla Shores by building a massive three-story structure overshadowing Piatti’s Restaurant,” the LJST states on its Facebook page. “Such changes will open the door to three-story developers forever changing the walkable open community we know and love.” The Whitneys, however, have retaliated against claims made by LJST, namely pointing out that Woods and Naegle have received citations indicating building code violations on their own properties, located on 2226 and 2210 Avenida de la Playa, respectively. “Ironically, while this group claims they want to preserve and protect La Jolla Shores, the Naegle’s and Mr. Woods’ own buildings are in serious violation of our La Jolla Shores Planned District Ordinance (LJSPDO),” he said. Woods and Naegle were issued Civil Penalty Notice and Orders by the City of San Diego for building violations on their own properties in February and April. The violations include unlawful conversion of their carport or garage, non-permitted use of their retail ground floor space and illegally posted signage on and off their property. “The issue of the Civil Penalty Notice and Order is nothing less than sour grapes pressed by Mr. Whitney. Who complained or reported the carport conversion? Why do you think it was reported?” said Fritz Liebhardt, a La Jollan who has built several projects in the area. Naegle said that, ironically, everyone on the block who opposed the Whitney building was issued a Civil Penalty Notice and Order. He also said he secured permits prior to any alterations on his house, and there was no secretive conversion attempt. “Now that the city has explained, ten years after the fact, that our permit was issued in error, we will need to seek an appropriate resolution. We are in the process of doing so,” he said. “We will work directly with the city as is appropriate.” Bob Whitney makes another claim on his website: “Our building’s 30-foot height is the same height as Naegles’ building.” He said Naegle was the Whitney project’s original architect. When the Whitneys chose a different blueprint than the one proposed by Naegle, “our disgruntled former architect, his wife and Mr. Vaughn Woods formed a small but vocal group called ‘La Jolla Shores Tomorrow’ in opposition to our building to protect and preserve the Naegles’ private view — not to protect La Jolla Shores,” he said. A resident of La Jolla Shores, Bernard Segal, argues the Whitney building’s three-story, 30-foot height is not of primary concern. “The floor area (ratio of total floor space to lot size) not only would be one-third greater than the building adjacent to it, it would be one-third greater than any other building on Avenida de la Playa west of La Jolla Shores Drive, one-third greater than any other building in the La Jolla Village business district and one-third greater than is allowed anywhere else in the city of San Diego on a similarly zoned property,” Segal stated in a letter. “The Whitney project in its present configuration threatens to change forever, and for the worse, the look and feel of the entire business district of La Jolla Shores,” he said. Whitney requested a review and analysis of his project by Michael Stepner, author of the La Jolla Shores Precise Plan and the LJSPDO, particularly regarding its floor aspect ratio (FAR). In a letter, Stepner said the LJSPDO does not have a FAR requirement “because it was not believed to be a useful tool for guiding development in that neighborhood.” “Because of the nature of the area, the city Planning Department felt that more specific design guidelines were required to ensure ‘fit’ of new development in the ‘Shores.’ Set back and height requirements, coupled with the design guidelines, was a much better tool to ensure ‘unity with variety’ in new projects,” he wrote. “I have reviewed the proposed project and I believe it meets the criteria of the LJSPDO and fits the eclectic character of the La Jolla Shores Neighborhood Center,” Stepner’s letter concluded. The Whitney project has gone through several appeals. The project was first denied by the La Jolla Community Planning Association (LJCPA) in April 2010, then approved by a city hearing officer in July 2010, and appealed by the LJCPA to the city’s Planning Commission the following month. In January, the city’s Planning Commission voted to approve development permits and deemed an environmental impact report unnecessary. The decision was appealed by the LJCPA in the same month. Last month, the City Council granted the LJCPA’s appeal to require an environmental impact report for the project. What is the latest on the project? “We will be preparing an EIR report as requested,” Whitney said.