New faces will govern the La Jolla Community Planning Association (LJCPA) as it advises the city on land-use issues in La Jolla. Six new members joined the board as incumbents Gale Forbes, Claude Anthony Marengo and David Little left the group.

Proxy votes made up approximately 33 percent of the vote initially but accounted for approximately 50 percent in the run-off vote between Joe La Cava and Michael Morton, which Morton won.

A proxy vote gives a trustee the power to vote for whomever in the name of the proxy voter. The city recently eliminated the proxy vote but LJCPA still has 18 months to change its voting structure.

Not allowing the proxy vote will “promote a more active role in participation in individuals by having members appear at the meeting,” said Sarah Osborn, associate planner with the city’s Planning Department.

Outgoing LJCPA trustee David Little said he sees a darker side to the proxy vote. Real estate agents, architects and developers contact their co-workers and friends to send in proxy votes and the vote is decided even before the meeting, according to Little.

“You have the real estate agency running the show,” Little said.

Osborn defended the proxy vote. Any sector of the community has the power to send in proxy votes, Osborn said.

Incoming LJCPA trustees include:

Former NFL football player Phil McConkey received the most votes. McConkey was an entrepreneur in real estate, insurance and banking and currently works for an equity block trading firm. He moved to La Jolla one year ago.

Lance Peto, who has lived in La Jolla for 10 years, owns three businesses in the Village and property in Bird Rock, La Jolla Shores and in downtown La Jolla. Peto aims to reconcile differences between the different La Jolla organizations.

Paul Metcalf is heavily involved in traffic planning and was instrumental in bringing a Maintenance Assessment District (MAD) to Bird Rock to enhance the boulevard.
Alice Perricone worked as an attorney for 25 years and has been a licensed real estate broker for nine years. Perricone has resided in La Jolla Shores for 16 years. She also aims to bring consensus to the LJCPA.

David Abrams presided over the LJCPA in the 1990s and has worked in city planning for more than 25 years. He advocates balanced, quality growth and development while respecting the present neighborhoods and natural assets. He moved to La Jolla in 1976.

Michael Morton has worked in La Jolla for 25 years and currently co-owns Marengo Morton Architects. Morton is also the co-author of the last-minute proposals for greater density in Bird Rock and three stories within the 30-foot height limit throughout La Jolla.

In other news, confusion and special meetings remain in the mix for La Jolla’s Planned District Ordinance (PDO), the set of codes that will govern future development in the area. LJCPA will not send Bird Rock Community Council’s (BRCC) seven approved amendments until BRCC and the LJPDO sub-committee decide on new proposals that call for increased density and three stories within the 30-foot height limit.

LJCPA trustee Gale Forbes called for LJCPA to forward the approved amendments to the city.

“Anything else can be delayed,” Forbes said. “Bird Rock has held up our amendments since 1987.”

Dispute arose over the deadline for La Jolla’s PDO. In October 2005, District 1 City Councilman Scott Peters expressed in a letter that Bird Rock needed to “complete its review of the relatively narrow set of issues” by January 2006 ” one month ago.

“I will not support any further time extensions for PDO consideration,” Peters said in the letter.

Trustee David Little called for the LJCPA to follow Peters’ instructions.

“Maybe they’re [the PDO amendments] not the ones that people in this group wanted, but it’s what Peters wanted and what he got,” Little said, referring to the amendments that have been approved.

Nonetheless, BRCC has crafted round two for the PDO, in which it plans to decide on the new amendments by this August.

LJCPA trustee Claude Anthony Marengo pointed out that the deadline might not be as eminent as it appears. The other La Jolla amendments (32 have already been sent to the city) are not sitting idle downtown; the code enforcement only operates when it has money, Marengo said.

“Certain codes are only possible to process in certain months,” Marengo said.

The city does not have enough funds to update its entire City of Villages Plan, but Peters has been able to push La Jolla’s amendments through with District 1 money.
Promote La Jolla (PLJ) and the LJCPA will host another special meeting to discuss the pending three-story proposal that will affect other areas in the Village, apart from Bird Rock. PLJ decided to sponsor the meeting after receiving numerous calls from merchants. The meeting will convene at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 23 at La Jolla Recreation Center, 615 Prospect St.

In further updates, the city finished repairs to Sewer Pump Station 19 on Bird Rock Avenue, which will help reduce sewer spills.

As controversy continues at the Children’s Pool, LJCPA has invited Police Officer Brian Ahern to the next LJCPA meeting, on April 6, to discuss the tables set up at the beach by seal activists.

“We’re very concerned about this,” said Mary Coakley, chair of the La Jolla Shores Association Parks and Beaches Committee. “We could end up with tables at the La Jolla Shores parks and all around.”

The city’s Traffic Engineering Department will also speak about vehicle-calming signs, especially pertaining to Via Capri.

LJCPA meets the first Thursday of every month at 6:30 p.m. at La Jolla Recreation Center, 615 Prospect St.

For more information call (858) 456-7900 or visit www.lajollabythesea.com.