La Jolla News Nuggets June 11-17: Animal Hospital of La Jolla and postal annex to relocate, La Jolla Village Theatres closing ... and more
Animal Hospital of La Jolla and postal annex to relocate, La Jolla Village Theatres closing ... and more
La Jolla Village Theatres to close Sunday, June 14
Landmark’s La Jolla Village Theatres will show its last films Sunday, June 14 and will be torn down to make way for a Nordstrom Rack. The four-screen theater, which shows mostly independent and fine-arts films, opened in 1979.
The shopping center, called the Shops at La Jolla Village, at 8801 Villa La Jolla Drive, is undergoing a major revitalization that will include a 32,000 square-foot and two 6,000-square-foot commercial buildings. It’s the first major change for the mall since 1990. Also leaving are a TGI Friday’s and B.J’s Pizza. Elijah’s Deli moved to Kearny Mesa earlier this year. The Whole Foods, CVS and Aaron Brothers are expected to remain on the other end of the strip mall.
Meanwhile, construction of the upscale, dine-in cinema complex, “The Lot,” at 7611 Fay Ave., is progressing steadily and on target for a September opening, it’s developer told the Light.
Entry gate strikes a nerve for La Jolla Rancho Road residents
Several residents on La Jolla Rancho Road are unhappy with a gate they say resembles everything from a miniature Arc de Triomphe to something out of Jurassic Park or a Las Vegas casino.
“If you look around this entire area, you’ll find this is totally out of character for the neighborhood,” resident David Katz said. “This is extreme.”
Neighbor Stacey Silk added, “The neighborhood is really modest and this is just so enormous. … I think they didn’t follow the rules.”
Although Katz said neighbors weren’t notified about the project (estimating the structure’s overall height to be about 40 feet), Lynda Pfeifer, a spokesperson for the City of San Diego’s Development Services Department (DSD), told La Jolla Light that a notice went out to residents within 300 feet.
“I sent an inspector to the property in question and the gate is built in accordance with municipal code regulations and the approved plans,” Pfeifer said, adding that DSD’s assistant deputy director confirmed the structure was “measured to be 27 feet tall and in accordance with approved plans.”
After reviewing revised plans for the project in November 2014, La Jolla’s Development Permit Review committee recommended the city approve the project. Pfeifer said the gate (moved from its original location of 26 feet from the property line to 40 feet away) is set back far enough from the roadway to fall within La Jolla’s 30-foot height limit (allowing for its current height).
Group exceeds funding goal for homeless woman, Shauna
The crowdfunding campaign created to find permanent housing for an intersex homeless woman in La Jolla, Shauna Smith (launched by Soul Wise Coaching), has exceeded its $10,000 goal to secure “Shelter for Shauna.” The women of Soul Wise hope to fund three months stay at a hotel, plus first and last month’s rent as deposit on an apartment. The campaign has so far raised a little more than $11,000.
“You can see the stress melting off of Shauna daily,” wrote lead organizer and La Jolla resident, Kirsten Harrison-Jack this week on Shauna’s page (gofundme.com/shelterforshauna). “It’s a work in progress and we are in it with her for the long haul, but your help has been instrumental in providing hope and housing.”
Several others have joined in to help secure housing for Shauna, including realtors Anthony Guerrieri and Ron Fineman of Berkshire Hathaway Home Services. A social worker with at the San Diego LGBT Community Center has also offered resources to help Shauna access healthcare, while Gotham Pilates proposed a class to benefit the campaign, in which Shauna could use her degree in fitness education to help others, Harrison-Jack said.
“The GoFundMe page is still going strong, which we are very thankful for since starting a new life isn’t cheap,” she added. “There are many projects in the works to benefit Shauna for the long-term. … Overall, the desire of the community to help someone start anew has been astounding and refreshing.”
Harrison-Jack said people have also donated items such as a microwave, blender, computer and home décor for Shauna’s future apartment, as well as a woman’s basketball for the former youth basketball coach.
Bishop School grad’s Emmy-nominated show airs June 17
“Animal R&R,” a documentary series by The Bishop’s School graduate and filmmaker Elliott Kennerson (in its second season), received three Emmy Award nominations from the Pacific Southwest Chapter of the National Association of Television Arts and Sciences. Winners will be announced June 20 at a ceremony in Palm Springs.
Two of the nominations went to episodes that aired on KPBS television in May 2014; the third was for editing.
The Emmy ceremony will take place the same week KPBS broadcasts an encore presentation of the current season, 8-10 p.m. Wednesday, June 17.
Local conservationist Joan Embery, goodwill ambassador to the Zoological Society of San Diego, narrates the series, which follows the stories of rescued wild animals as a way to raise awareness about human relationships to the natural world.
More at video.kpbs.org/program/animal-rr and bit.ly/kennersondocu
Silver Street postal annex demolition will begin Aug. 1
The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) will relocate operations at its La Jolla letter carrier annex on Silver Street to the University City annex at 5045 Shoreham Place, effective July 25.
USPS is relocating services to make way for the demolition of the Silver Street building, scheduled to begin Aug. 1. The property’s new owner is redeveloping the site as townhomes.
Although the relocation is not expected to impact mail delivery, after July 25 all certified or registered mail and packages for which a letter carrier left a notice requesting pick-up and/or signature (as well as all vacation-hold mail) will be handled at La Jolla’s main post office, 1140 Wall St.
The building currently housing the adjacent Animal Hospital of La Jolla will also be demolished to make way for the townhouse project. As such, the animal hospital is relocating one block down the street, and will soon reopen as Village Veterinarian Hospital, at 7527 Draper Ave.