The La Jolla Community Planning Association finalized its criteria for what constitutes a “major project” that would be automatically slated for a full presentation to the board. 

After introducing the idea last month, the board unanimously approved a set of criteria to define a major project during its Sept. 4 meeting. 

“The issue was community members not feeling heard … and there were projects people wished we had talked about,” said LJCPA trustee Greg Jackson. “So the idea is to set some criteria for major projects so that they … automatically get put onto the agenda.” 

A project will be considered major if any of these apply:

• The total floor area would grow by more than 8,000 square feet

• The number of units would increase by more than four

• The units fall short of site zoning limits by more than four

• The applicant requests waivers of major provisions in the Municipal Code, including planned district ordinances

• The proposal requires approval by the San Diego Planning Commission or City Council (Process 4 or 5) 

If the project does not meet any of the criteria but members of an LJCPA committee such as the La Jolla Development Permit Review Committee, La Jolla Shores Permit Review Committee or Planned District Ordinance Committee think it should be reviewed in full as a major project, the chairs of those committees can make that recommendation. 

Jackson said that stipulation “would catch things that don’t meet the other criteria but should.” 

If no LJCPA trustees wish to discuss a project considered major, the president may deem a committee recommendation to be ratified without objection. 

The criteria and process will be tested in coming months and can be refined if needed. 

Typically, a project is reviewed by a committee and then proceeds to the Community Planning Association for ratification of the recommendation or further discussion. In many cases, a project is placed on the LJCPA consent agenda, which is approved as a slate without presentation or discussion. A project can be removed, or “pulled,” from the consent agenda for a full presentation at a later date.

LJCPA revised its bylaws last year to limit the grounds under which an item can be pulled, such as citing a section of building code that was not being followed.

As a result, board President Lisa Kriedeman said, some projects did not qualify for a pull and therefore were not heard in full but were still of community interest.

In citing examples from developments previously reviewed, Jackson said in August that a project on Encelia Drive that set out to demolish a 3,500-square-foot house and build one more than triple the size would qualify for an automatic full review under the new policy.

Similarly, a proposal like Adelante Townhomes in Bird Rock, which would demolish an office building on La Jolla Boulevard and replace it with a multi-story building with 13 townhouses and about 1,100 square feet of ground-floor retail space, also could qualify for automatic full review.

The new criteria, Jackson said, likely would add one or two project reviews to each monthly meeting. 

Other LJCPA news

Forward Street: A controversial project planned for Bird Rock was pulled from the consent agenda Sept. 4 for a full hearing at a later date. Some noted that because the project is seeking a waiver, it would have been slated for a full review under the new criteria anyway.  

The proposal for 516 Forward St. is an expansion of an existing home from about 1,075 square feet to 3,700 square feet.

The plan previously was to renovate the house under the so-called 50% rule, which exempts projects from needing a coastal development permit if they retain 50% of the original walls. However, during the renovation and excavation process, one of the walls fell during rain and the work no longer qualified for the 50% rule and needed a CDP.

The project had an initial hearing by the Development Permit Review Committee on Aug. 12, when some speakers expressed concerns about the size and DPR trustees had a series of questions about the plans. However, the DPR gave its support to the proposal the following week. 

Next meeting: The La Jolla Community Planning Association next meets at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 2, at the La Jolla Recreation Center. The agenda will be posted 72 hours in advance at lajollcpa.org. ♦