About 30 people came to the La Jolla Library Oct. 27 for a city Environmental impact review (EIR) hearing regarding the proposed 6,000-square-foot Hillel Student Center that would be bordered by La Jolla Scenic Drive, La Jolla Village Drive and La Jolla Scenic Way. Controversy has swirled around the project since 2006, when Hillel purchased the land from the city — a deal that had a number of provisions attached to it regarding parking and special events, among others. Residents and representatives from the La Jolla Community Planning Association have consistently disagreed with the plans, saying that as a facility affiliated with the University of California, San Diego, Hillel violates city ordinance. The goal of this particular EIR hearing was to allow representatives from the affected communities to present opinions and concerns regarding the ecological, social or economic affects the project would have. Mike Costello was one of 10 people who live in the neighborhood of the proposed building and presented commentary to city officials. “A solemn promise was made by UCSD when it was being built over 30 years ago, that no student activities would extend past La Jolla Village Drive,” said resident Mike Costello. “I should think that a promise is a promise.” Mark Steele, architect for the project, which consists of three structures, presented new plans that would reduce the size of the structures by almost half, compared to plans rejected previously. According to the new plan, the Hillel building will be approximately 6,600 square feet versus 13,000. Although Steele did not provide an exact height or square footage of the proposed project, he did say that the new plans have removed “the gathering center and underground parking structures.” When asked by several attendees how much the street could be narrowed to accommodate the Hillel and how many feet the tallest peaks of the buildings would be, he answered, respectively, “very little, maybe two feet” and “I’m not sure, I’d have to calculate it.” Residents Joe LaCava and Pat Granger expressed concern about possible loss of habitat because the land was home to various bird and raptor species before the pre-construction removal of several eucalyptus trees. Granger also said the removal of the cul-de-sac on La Jolla Scenic Drive, a component of the plan, would be extremely dangerous. “Many pedestrians and cyclists use this area as a turnaround,” she said. “Without it, they could be at danger of getting hit by cars.” Ross Starr, a La Jolla resident who spoke at the hearing, said he is concerned about precedence. “There are dozens of religiously affiliated organizations at UCSD,” Starr said. “If the Hillel project is approved, each would then be able to cite the Hillel project, showing that they too should be allowed to locate in the residential neighborhood.” Starr also expressed concern about parking. The project is called a student center, he said, but it “purports to be a church, temple or building used for religious purposes.” He said that designation would require, per San Diego Municipal Code, for it to have 30 spaces for every 1,000 square feet of structure space. Residents are also concerned that the neighborhood could become congested with more university spillover parking and foot traffic. Comments can be submitted by Nov. 7 to Elizabeth Shearer-Nguyen of the city’s Development Services Center at 122 First Ave., 92101 or by e-mail at [email protected]. Shearer- Nguyen can also be reached at (619) 446-5369. For information on further public meetings and hearings, contact project manager John Fisher at (619) 446-5231.