Bird Rockers heard it was a relatively quiet Halloween amid the continuing beefed-up police presence, while some residents complained of creeping “mansionization” in their neighborhood.
Those were the highlights of Bird Rock Community Council’s November meeting, during which residents were updated by council trustee Barbara Dunbar on the status of the Maintenance Assessment District, which maintains landscaping in roundabouts and elsewhere in the community. Dunbar said assessment fees charged for residents and merchants for the assessment district will not be increased during the next fiscal year.
Warning of the “Los Angelization” of Bird Rock, resident Sharon Wampler said Beaumont Avenue has fallen prey to house “flippers” who are buying and reselling properties to their own advantage and to the detriment of surrounding residents.
“Many times, people don’t consider something until it’s in their backyards,” said Wampler, an East Coast transplant who fears her quiet residential neighborhood is being despoiled by ever-larger homes built exclusively for profit.
“Developing and flipping homes for profit doesn’t make sense in the long term,” argued Wampler, adding, “People aren’t anti-construction. They’re just concerned with massive homes on small lots changing the character of Bird Rock.”
Wampler added that one factor not often considered in planning with overly large homes is how the homes impact the aesthetics of the surrounding neighborhood.
Councilmember Jim Ragsdale suggested that a more appropriate venue for the argument would be the La Jolla Development Permit Review Committee, which rules on discretionary permits in La Jolla outside of La Jolla Shores.
“This really is a bigger issue than what’s happening in our neighborhood,” said council president Jacqueline Bell. “It’s happening all over the entire city. It would be a long process to make any changes.”
In other matters, some neighbors complained of having been egged on Halloween night in Bird Rock, which has acquired a reputation for being one of the best places to go trick or treating in the city given its large number of single-family homes with young families and school-age children. There were however, no reports of pumpkin smashings or other vandalism that plagued the community in the past before efforts were undertaken a few years ago to increase the police presence on Halloween night.
The group will not a hold another regular meeting until Tuesday, Feb. 3. Its December meeting will be a holiday party Tuesday, Dec. 2 at Bird Rock Oyster and Sushi Bar, 5752 La Jolla Blvd. The council will be dark in January.
For more information, visit birdrockcc.org.