Plan for pool and underground guest house gets La Jolla DPR Committee’s approval

Of three home projects that went before the La Jolla Development Permit Review Committee on May 16, only one left with a vote of support. The others — both in Bird Rock — will return at a future meeting amid concerns about size and neighborhood conformity.

9860 La Jolla Farms Road

The only project to get an affirmative vote is planned for 9860 La Jolla Farms Road.

The proposal is to remove the pool in the back of the property and construct a new underground 1,300-square-foot guest house in its place. A new pool would be built on the southwest side of the property.

Once complete, the roof of the new accessory dwelling unit will become an outdoor terrace, architect Paul Benton said.

With no requests for more information, the DPR voted to make its preliminary review final and support the project.

625 Wrelton Drive

A rendering presented to the Development Permit Review Committee depicts a home remodeling and addition proposed for 625 Wrelton Drive.

(Ashley Mackin-Solomon)

A project to remodel and add to a two-story residence at 625 Wrelton Drive in Bird Rock will have to return for its third hearing.

The plan includes a 186-square-foot first-floor addition, a 2,074-square-foot second-floor addition and a 115-square-foot third-story addition, along with decks.

The project was heard by the DPR Committee in January, but the board had questions and asked the applicant to consider a redesign. DPR trustee Mike Costello called the existing house “a neighborhood landmark” and said the new architecture is “not as inspired as the original architecture. … I would ask you to reconsider that.”

At the May 16 meeting, applicant representative Phil Quatrino said the work would “open up the house to the exterior” and that the project’s footprint is close to what currently exists.

But the height and overall size worried some in attendance, with DPR trustee John Shannon saying it looks “massive” from the nearby Tourmaline Surfing Park parking lot.

Trustee Angeles Leira said she “is having a hard time visualizing this in the neighborhood. … It’s a change.”

She added that, based on the presentation, she didn’t have enough information “about how this fits with the character of the neighborhood, which I think is our big charge.”

Others at the meeting were concerned about whether the project sufficiently steps the second story back from the first story, as outlined in the La Jolla Community Plan, and how the property would look from different vantage points.

Thus, the board asked the applicant team to return with more images and information.

5646 Chelsea Ave.

Another project in the Bird Rock area will return to the DPR for additional review after board members and others cited concerns with the size and whether public views are being preserved.

Renderings are presented for a home project at 5646 Chelsea Ave.

(Ashley Mackin-Solomon)

Proposed work includes demolition of the existing two-story house at 5646 Chelsea Ave. and construction of a new two-story house with an attached garage, a basement and a roof deck along with an attached accessory dwelling unit.

The proposed development is within 10 feet of the allowable floor area ratio, or the size of the house in relation to its lot. One neighbor called it “huge.”

Leira noted that houses in the area are close together and questioned the project’s impact on the neighborhood.

Board members requested renderings at a future meeting showing the house in relation to its neighbors and how public views would be preserved.

Meetings: The La Jolla Development Permit Review Committee meets at 4 p.m. the second and third Tuesdays of every month at the La Jolla Recreation Center, 615 Prospect St. Agendas are posted 72 hours in advance at lajollacpa.org. ◆