Planning group sends La Jolla Farms project back to subcommittee

By Dave Schwab

daves@lajollalight.com

A proposal to build a new home and guest quarters in La Jolla Farms was sent back to a for further review after a handful of neighbors turned out at La Jolla Community Planning Association’s Nov. 3 monthly meeting characterizing the project as a “home depot” and a “shopping center.”

Known as the Encore Trust Residence, the project at 9872 La Jolla Farms Road calls for constructing a 21,592-square-foot main home and a 2,149-square-foot guest quarters on a 1.5-acre lot. The project was approved unanimously by the Development Permit Review (DPR) subcommittee a month ago with no organized opposition present.

This time, a half a dozen people who live near the property and their attorney, Evelyn Heidelberg of Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch LLP, appeared. The contended they hadn’t been properly notified about the project and warned that its proposed bulk and scale would disrupt ocean views and be oversized for the upscale neighborhood despite its characteristically large lots.

The project will be reheard by the DPR Committee Nov. 8 at 4 p.m. at La Jolla Rec Center, 615 Prospect St.

In other action:

• Trustees voted 14-0-1 to support dedication of two city-owned undeveloped sites, one the bike path running between Fire Station 13 and the Methodist Church in Bird Rock, to be set aside as open space which could be later developed for parkland or recreational use.

• Trustees rejected a proposal by Hennessey’s Sidewalk Café at 7811 Herschel Ave. to put in a space with wrought iron fencing to allow outdoor dining. Dan Courtney made the motion to deny the request because of safety concerns involving encroachment into the public right-of-way.

• A mixed-use project with retail sapce on the ground floor with condos above including underground parking at 7401 La Jolla Blvd. was continued until the group’s Dec. 1 meeting.