La Jolla Shores permit reviewers give three projects the ‘go’ sign

Three of the four projects that went before the La Jolla Shores Permit Review Committee during its March 21 meeting got the green light, with the fourth project returning at a future meeting. The projects include remodels and the construction of accessory dwelling units and second-story additions.

Cliffridge ADU

One project called for a combination permit for a proposed addition and a new detached ADU with a roof deck at an existing house at 8458 Cliffridge Ave. The address for the ADU would be 8460 Cliffridge.

Applicant representative Yoftahe Ghiliamichael said the 384-square-foot addition would include a bedroom and a bathroom. The ADU would be 638 square feet in the back of the property, with a retaining wall and fence like the neighboring properties.

The committee had only minor questions and comments until trustee Janie Emerson raised concerns that the renderings don’t match the existing property conditions. “None of this jibes with what it looks like when you go to the property, and I have been there twice,” she said. “And I’m concerned we don’t have any comments from the neighbors.”

The applicant team said it reached out to next-door neighbors, who it said were amenable to the project but did not comment at the meeting or submit letters stating their support.

A motion that findings can be made to support the project passed 6-1, with Emerson opposed and committee Chairman Andy Fotsch customarily abstaining.

Dorado Court remodel

Fotsch joked that a presentation for a remodel at 7981 Dorado Court seemed to set the standard for other projects to follow in that trustees had no questions or critiques and praised the design.

Architect Stephen Dalton, representing the homeowner, sought approval for a coastal development permit to remodel the existing house on the first floor and add a second-story ADU with a roof deck over the existing attached garage.

“We are proposing some interior renovations to the existing house, and the existing single-story roofline will stay intact,” Dalton said in presenting before-and-after images showing how the property would change. Extra space provided by the project would be used as play space for the homeowner’s grandchildren.

Trustee John Shannon said the project “looks pretty nice architecturally” and applauded the architect for providing the before-and-after portrayal, “which makes it much easier to assess.”

A motion to support the project passed unanimously.

The La Jolla Shores Permit Review Committee meets March 21 online.

(Ashley Mackin-Solomon)

Calle de la Garza remodel

A project calling for a site development permit for a proposed 1,229-square-foot second-story addition with a deck and a 75-square-foot first-floor addition for the staircase on an existing 7,628-square-foot house at 2350 Calle de la Garza also was approved.

Applicant Sara Carpenter said all existing setbacks would be preserved, that the second floor steps back “as far as we can go” and that the deck would be open on all sides. The project would increase the height by about eight feet, though the frontage would remain the same and the addition would be similar to the existing house, she said.

Carpenter said the homeowners reached out to surrounding neighbors and that “all had positive comments.”

Trustees voted unanimously to support the project.

Prestwick Drive remodel

In the face of a harsh critique about the facade, a proposal to remodel and add 2,015 square feet to an existing two-story house and garage at 8457 Prestwick Drive will return at a future meeting.

The project aims to add height to bolster the view to the west; add a vaulted living room ceiling; renovate the frontage; and redevelop the kitchen, dining room area and guest bedroom, according to applicant representative Jennifer Bolyn.

While some called the plan a nice upgrade, Emerson said “this house does not fit in with the rest of the neighborhood, and there are modern houses there. This facade does not work.”

The project “sticks out like a sore thumb,” she said.

Bolyn did not provide a street montage to show how the project would fit in with surrounding properties and said she had not spoken with neighbors.

Seeking that information, “and possibly different colors on the facade,” Emerson asked that the proposal return.

The La Jolla Shores Permit Review Committee next meets at 4 p.m. Monday, April 18, likely online. Learn more at lajollacpa.org. ◆