San Diego City Council members moved La Jolla’s controversial Hillel Jewish student center project to Friday, Dec. 5, the last day City Council President and District 1 Councilman Scott Peters will vote before leaving office. “The problem was that it was improperly noticed to begin with,” said Michelle Ganon, communications director for Peters. “A portion of the noticing may have not made the 12-hour differential.” Ganon said the city council moved Hillel’s project from the Tuesday council meeting to Friday at 10 a.m., ensuring any technicalities were met after a public outcry alerted officials to the problem. “It’s really out of an abundance of caution. We are anticipating this continuance [to Friday] to avoid later problems with any accusations that we didn’t notice it properly,” Ganon said, adding that Friday at 10 a.m. is Peters’ last council meeting. Despite speculation from locals, Josh Richman, volunteer for Hillel — a nonprofit organization proposing to build a Jewish student center across from UC San Diego at 8976 Cliffridge Ave. — said he never talked with Peters. And although each La Jolla community planning group denied the project, Richman said he is optimistic the council will pass Hillel’s project. “We genuinely believe we’re improving that corner and the city will be selling a piece of land that otherwise wouldn’t be doing anything,” Richman said. “It was in front of the city before and the city approved it before …” Hillel proposed a similar project intended for Jewish college students to be sited on the .76-acre triangular-shaped Cliffridge Avenue lot at La Jolla Village Drive, between Torrey Pines Road and La Jolla Scenic Way. But the La Jolla Shores Association sued Hillel’s first project with regard to issues such as parking and environmental factors. Richman said Hillel addressed every issue and hopes the council will value the group’s effort. “I don’t think there’s a single neighbor that’s come out in objection to the project. All the objectors live away from the project, as far as I understand,” Richman said. “Hillel is an upstanding organization that does good for communities all across the country. We believe the community’s concerns are exaggerated and overstated.” But many La Jollans attended local community meetings, stating objections to the project. The September La Jolla Community Planning Association (LJCPA) voted against Hillel, following recommendations of two area committees that had previously voted against the student center. Additionally, LJCPA voted to send a letter to the city pointing out errors and requesting a better analysis of transportation, parking and an environmental report. La Jolla Town Council President Darcy Ashley said many residents fear that allowing the university’s expansion into neighborhoods would be detrimental to La Jolla. Locals feel they don’t have enough power to fight UCSD, she said. “This isn’t about Hillel — it’s about the university having growing pains,” Ashley said. “The issue has been that the university will jump Torrey Pines Road. UCSD is such a big influential neighbor … There has been a desire to keep university uses from jumping across the street into neighborhoods.” Whether residents said they fear UCSD overshadowing their residential neighborhoods or an increase in traffic, parking and noise or environmental concerns, Hillel officials will present their final case to San Diego City Council members this Friday. “So we’re hopeful the city council will vote our project up — we’ve made changes to assuage them and maintain a project that’s viable, but we know we’ll be good neighbors,” Richman said. San Diego City Council will meet Friday, Dec. 5 at 10 a.m. at City Hall, 200 C St. For more information on Hillel La Jolla, visit www.ucsdhillel.org/project. For more information about LJCPA, go to http://www.la jollacpa.org.