Loss of Windemere Cottage is loss to former owners, entire community Much has been written recently about the truly tragic loss of one of La Jolla’s most historic residences. There is no doubt that Windemere Cottage had architectural significance and was uniquely and beautifully constructed. However, for me, this has been a very personal loss and a very sad goodbye. For 14 years, I was fortunate enough to live in this simple, precious home. In my entire life, no other physical space has ever felt more nurturing or more soul-enriching. Former residents found it to be a place where they could create big thoughts and beautiful words, and children, including my own, have deeply loved this cottage. There was such a comfort in falling asleep nested in old growth redwood and waking up to sunlight shining through the jeweled windows. I would cook our oatmeal, assemble school lunches and watch the birds outside the kitchen window, taking bites out of the peaches that were ripening. I would watch my sons come back from surfing the La Jolla waters and tilt their boards against the back porch, calling out, “Mom, we’re back, and we’re hungry.” My daughter and I would sprawl over my upstairs bed, talk about our dreams and the prince she would marry. We would giggle, drink our tea, smile, laugh a lot and share our affection. Windemere would contain our joy. Friends and family would come together to share stories, eat tasty food and enjoy each other’s company. Living Christmas trees would be planted in the backyard, and Rocky, our black Labrador, learned how to get along with our two cats, Ninja and Maui, and became our “big love.” After the accidental death of my beautiful daughter, Andrea, in December 2000, Windemere embraced me while I grieved. Its warm redwood walls nourished me with grace and restored my wonder of life. Windemere Cottage did its best to contain my sorrow. What a terrible loss, and what a heartbreak it has been to see the vandalism, the violation and complete haul-away of such a treasure that I called home. Sadly, no one else will ever be able to enjoy Windemere Cottage and feel its warm soul and spirit. I have contemplated this reality for the last few weeks, and I feel obligated to communicate what this home meant to me and how important it is to protect and preserve similar homes in our community. Beloved dwellings such as these are not really owned by anyone. Windemere Cottage belonged to the people of La Jolla. — Mimi Trotter, 30-year La Jolla resident, former 14-year Windemere Cottage homeowner

History of Windemere — and pain of loss — relived by those who owned it My wife and I had the wonderful and unique experience of living in the Windemere Cottage from February 1968 to July 1969. The living room had a 7-foot ceiling. There were beautiful beveled-glass panels on either side of the front door, which were stolen sometime around 1970. Apparently, someone came during the night and removed them. The front door also had lovely leaded glass, and I am not sure if that was also stolen. The kitchen was another experience, and I put down some tile before my wife could even consider trying to cook anything. The only counter was a baker’s table and a California cooler for keeping vegetables fresh. The bathroom had a clawfoot tub, and we rigged up a shower. The floors were hardwood. We feel pain that this historic house was destroyed. — Richard and Marsha Burns, La Jolla

LJCPA approves PRC trustee amid residents’ concerns At the Jan. 5 La Jolla Community Planning Association’s (LJCPA) monthly meeting, the trustees voted to ratify a nominee to the La Jolla Shores Permit Review Committee (LJSPRC). They did this despite the fact that on April 14, 2011, the city of San Diego issued a civil-penalty notification for code violations for her home at 2210 Avenida de la Playa. The city cited her home for nine code violations, which included an illegal garage conversion and the removal of three off-street parking spaces. The leadership of our community planning group has known of these violations for the past eight months, yet chose not to share this information with the other trustees. When we informed the other trustees of the violations, trustee Joe La Cava stated his rationale for her ratification: “To ensure as a member of the LJSPRC she would be under the umbrella of the LJCPA, thereby receiving indemnification and defense from the city of San Diego.” Trustees Rob Whittemore and Michael Costello’s justification to ratify the nominee were based on a “forgive and forget” mindset. “We probably all have code violations of some kind” stated Mr. Costello. As residents of La Jolla we believe it is not rational for our community group to ignore our codes and knowingly appoint a nominee to the LJSPRC when that individual is herself in violation of the codes she is appointed to judge others by. Although there is no floor-area ratio (FAR) restriction in La Jolla Shores, at this same meeting, trustee Phil Merten urged trustees and the public to support the appeal of an applicant’s proposed home based on FAR. However, the author of the La Jolla Shores PDO and former city of San Diego architect Mike Stepner has stated: “A FAR was not included in the La Jolla Shores PDO because it was not believed to be a useful tool for guiding development in our neighborhood. Because of the nature of the area, it was felt that more specific design guidelines were required. Set back and height requirements coupled with design guidelines was a much better way to ensure ‘unity with variety’ in new projects.” Co-author of the LJSPDO and former architect Dale Naegle confirmed there is no FAR restriction, as evidenced on building plans he prepared for his clients in La Jolla Shores. It is time our community group stop appealing applicants based on its self-serving and self-imposed FAR restriction. Its arbitrary FAR will lower property values of older homes in La Jolla Shores by approximately 15 to 25 percent. As residents of La Jolla Shores, we believe it is reprehensible for this community group to disregard our LJSPDO and impose its capricious FARs when reviewing an applicant’s project. If you have concerns about the current or past actions of our community groups, send your concerns to [email protected]. If you would like to see the above-mentioned city of San Diego civil penalty notification, it can be seen at www.lajollashorestoday.com/2210_Civil_Penalty_Notice.pdf. — Bob & Kim Whitney, members of The La Jolla Association, 40 year residents of La Jolla