The blueprint that governs development in La Jolla Shores, called the Planned District Ordinance (PDO), is too subjective and needs to be updated to clearly define development constraints, agreed 30 La Jolla Shores residents, architects, real estate agents, developers and community leaders at an Oct. 7 meeting.  How far should a house sit from the property line? How can residents ensure that the house built next door is not a monstrosity that covers most of the lot and leaves little room for landscaping and open space? “I’ve seen massive development recently where a three-story home is built straight up and down, with two floors looking down on a ranch-style house,” said Phil Merten, architect and La Jolla Community Planning Association trustee. Residents worry that larger buildings are setting a precedent for even larger development. The PDO does not numerically specify the bulk and scale of development, but it states that homes cannot be built with more units per acre than the average of the homes within 300 feet of the project. Residents worry that average is changing, however, paving the way for larger buildings.   At the meeting, participants suggested the PDO be broken into more zones to handle each area separately. The group suggested the La Jolla Shores PDO act as an overlay to the city zoning guidelines that numerically specify setbacks and floor-area ratios (how much of the lot a house can cover) – combining the intent of the La Jolla Shores PDO with the protection of city codes. “In the Shores, some of the setbacks are greater than the city regulations because the setbacks in that neighborhood were greater already,” Merten said. “We don’t want to lose the ability to make intelligent, discretionary decisions that may lead to better buildings than elsewhere in town.” The group lamented the fact the city no longer enforces the regulations present in the La Jolla Shores PDO. The group argued the city permits development that allows a single-family residence to cover more than 60 percent of the lot and that it does not force developers to provide 30 percent landscaping. At the same time, the PDO falls short in ensuring the landscaping coverage neighbors desire, according to Shores resident Diane Kane. “If the landscaping is all in the backyard, there’s no privacy in the front,” Kane said. The group indicated that the subjectivity of the PDO means that future development rests on the whim of the advisory board and city departments. “The [city] planners look for clarity,” architect Michael Morton said. “If it’s not in the document, they can’t rest their opinions on anything.” Merten believes the mayor sets the tone for protecting the character of city communities and that Mayor Jerry Sanders is more interested in tax revenue than preserving the charm of La Jolla Shores.  “The PDO worked for two and a half decades when the city was interested in enforcing it,” Merten said. “Now we have to figure out how to put hard language into the ordinance that can’t be ignored.” Residents agreed to probe the city about enforcing the Shores PDO as well as to investigate how other areas, like Del Mar, have developed PDOs to protect their communities. La Jollans interested in joining the discussion should e-mail moderator Tim Lucas at [email protected].  In 2003, another group of La Jollans attempted to update the La Jolla Shores PDO, which was adopted in 1974, but property owners and Realtors balked, arguing the revision would downsize properties, according to Lucas. The process ran out of money before the document reached City Council for consideration. To read the La Jolla Shores PDO, visit www.lajollaguide.com/ljsa.