City launches investigation into La Jolla house used for weddings and other events

A city of San Diego investigation is underway into commercial operations reportedly taking place at a house in La Jolla’s Lower Hermosa neighborhood.

A complaint was filed the first week of August against Ville Sur Mer, which rents out the oceanfront house at 6276 Camino de la Costa as a venue for weddings and other events.

Ville Sur Mer is in the Lower Hermosa neighborhood of La Jolla.

(Ashley Mackin-Solomon)

The complaint alleges a zoning violation and “unpermitted business in a residential zone.” City spokesman Scott Robinson said an investigation is underway but a notice of violation had not been served to the owner.

Representatives of Ville Sur Mer did not respond to the La Jolla Light’s request for comment.

The company touts the house as having “unique coastal accents with a sophisticated Californian ambiance” that “comfortably accommodates up to 160 guests for a formal sit-down event and 200 guests for a standing cocktail event.”

Its website says the house boasts a collection of more than 100 surfboards.

The base rate is $9,500 for up to 50 guests, climbing to $14,500 for up to 200 guests.

Nearby residents said the venue has been holding events for about two years, some despite COVID-19-related restrictions on gatherings.

Ville Sur Mer is at 6276 Camino de la Costa in La Jolla.

(Bing Maps / La Jolla Light)

“You can always tell when an event is going to happen because rental trucks pull up and you see equipment being unloaded,” resident David Cherashore said. “Those of us who enjoy the breeze off the ocean with windows open would get the harmonic sounds of rentals clanging.”

Then cars would arrive in the neighborhood, and occasionally a crane to hoist a portable toilet over the top of the house and into the backyard, he said.

“In the past, the owner of the property held fundraisers there a couple of times a year, so we didn’t mind as much,” Cherashore said. “But in the past year or so, the events have increased, with 50 to 100 people there on average.”

He said many are held in the late afternoon and early evening and often shut down by 10 p.m. Ville Sur Mer states online that the house is in a residential neighborhood and music must be off by 10 p.m.

However, Cherashore said, “there is a lot they can’t do until the event is over. And the breakdown cannot be done quietly.”

Nearby residents also said they reported the issue to the office of City Councilman Joe LaCava, whose District 1 includes La Jolla.

LaCava representative Steve Hadley said the councilman was “waiting for a report from the investigation” before taking any action. ◆