Community Leader’s View: It may be time to fix La Jolla ourselves

By Jo LaCava

I offer for your consideration two calls for community action.

The city does not like the zoning regulations in La Jolla Shores. We have known that for a while. What is news is recognition by many that the revered zoning, known as the La Jolla Shores Planned District Ordinance (Shores PDO), is not protecting the character of the Shores.

As one planning group (CPA) trustee put it, the Shores PDO worked fine for the kinder gentler days of beach cottages and modest expectations, but in today’s bigger-is-better lifestyle the ordinance is not preserving the character of the Shores as was intended.

The fact is the Shores community needs to update the PDO to be more definitive in what it seeks to protect and be more clear and predictable in guiding future development. That effort has to start now before we completely lose what we love about the Shores. At least that is my opinion.

On another note: over the past couple of years the CPA has approved infrastructure improvements that have yet to see the light of day - Torrey Pines Corridor, pedestrian flashers on Girard and on La Jolla Mesa, Scripps Park, new lifeguard stations (think of the ugly temporary station), etc.

How long does La Jolla want to wait for the city? We have proven we can do capital improvements - the Map, Coggan Pool, Fire Station 13, WindanSea Beach, to name a few. What about maintenance issues such as litter on La Jolla Parkway or unmaintained street trees?

We have proven that at least one neighborhood can do that - the Bird Rock Maintenance Assessment District. Is it time to take it upon ourselves to address our infrastructure needs when it comes to safety and aesthetics? Do we have the civic pride and the community energy? Something for us to think about.

Joe LaCava is chairman of the La Jolla Community Planning Association and the Bird Rock Community Council.