A treasure in La Jolla Shores

By Selma Leigh

Rancho Santa Fe

As I parked my car one evening recently on Avenida de la Playa in La Jolla Shores village, I couldn’t help but notice how enchanting the little boutiques looked with their Christmas decorations in their windows all lit up. One boutique had arranged their windows with Old World European papier mache figurines sitting on antique tables next to clothes and accessories too attractive to walk by without stopping to admire them. There were Christmas trees with twinkling lights on the upstairs balconies. Other shops next door and nearby were also attractively decorated in Christmas colors and had such a warm, appealing glow to them that I felt compelled to linger a while to enjoy the enchanting scene a few minutes longer. I was reminded of a European village I had visited at Christmas time and thought how utterly charming the whole scent was.

Since that evening, I have heard that a large modern building is being planned by a private developer to be built right next door to the row of boutiques I have mentioned above.

Is there no one on the planning commission or on the council who understands how precious this charming little area is and its tourism value to the community as a whole? What can an ugly, pseudo-modern building like the one being proposed on the corner of Avenida de la Playa and El Paseo Grande possibly do for either the village or the village residents? If anything, it will denigrate it. Visitors will no longer find the area special.

There is no question that modern architecture has its place in the world and there are, indeed, several modern homes and large research facilities not far from the streets in question which blend in beautifully with the environment and can be admired for their architecture.

This proposed building, however, must be called what it is — a monstrosity!

I would like to appeal to your paper to take up the cause to stop this private developer from despoiling what is without a doubt one of the most attractive villages in Southern California.