The Children’s Pool Lifeguard Station was the source of contention among residents and trustees yet again Thursday, Aug. 2 at the La Jolla Community Planning Association meeting.
A new proposed station has made progress since last month’s presentation by city officials and architects but still needs more clearly defined details, many argued. Several trustees felt much of the new building could be placed at the lower level where public restrooms currently exist.
“I think the Coastal Commission and the public need to be aware how much of which the footprint of this building really impedes the physical view of the ocean,” LJCPA trustee Phil Merten said. “I want to applaud you because I think you are moving in the right direction but you are not there yet.”
Merten, joined by trustee Mark Lyon and backed by several residents, proposed that the new station locate most of its amenities ” including the reception area and first aid room ” underground, where the bathrooms are now situated. Project architect James Robbins and city project manager Jihad Sleiman said the Coastal Commission had already rejected the idea because it would intrude too far onto the area’s sensitive coastal bluff.
Merten and Lyon argued that the public benefit of improving the existing lifeguard station, which is more than 40 years old and is severely weathered, would carry weight with the Coastal Commission when determining whether the project could encroach any further into the coastal bluff that rests underneath the existing station.
San Diego lifeguard Lt. John Greenhalgh told the audience that it was important for the reception and first aid areas to be above-ground so that they would be easily accessible to people who may be injured or need lifeguard assistance.
Greenhalgh, who has been a lifeguard in San Diego for close to 40 years, said he hopes the community can work together with his staff to create the best possible design for everyone.
“We have given a lot compared to when the project first started,” Greenhalgh said. “It sounds like we are getting close, and I hope this will get the community to give a little bit, too, because this is going to do a lot for the community. We are open to suggestions, but we do have a job to do and we have people to protect and the crowds are just getting larger.”
Greenhalgh went on to say it was paramount for the observation tower ” which his staff uses primarily to keep an eye on those in the water ” to remain on the top level at the Children’s Pool.
The architecture firm handling the project has gone through several rough design plans for the building that have been rejected because of their bulk and scale, which many residents and trustees argued would obstruct ocean views.
The project team resolved to rework plans and will come before the LJCPA for a third time at its September meeting.
In other business, Keely Sweeney, representative from the office of City Council President and District 1 Councilman Scott Peters, announced that the district has challenged residents to conserve 20 percent of water usage per day by checking excessive sprinklers, shutting water off when brushing teeth and other daily tasks that can conserve San Diego’s diminishing water supply.
Ninety percent of water in San Diego is imported from other cities, according to Sweeney.
The La Jolla Community Planning Association meets at 6 p.m. the first Thursday of every month at the La Jolla Recreation Center, 615 Prospect St. For information, visit www.lajollcpa.org or send e-mail to [email protected].