The second Orli hotel would change the paint color outside, with the rest of the work occurring inside what the applicant called a heritage building.
Plans to transform a large, single-family home on Prospect and Cuvier streets in La Jolla into the second Orli La Jolla hotel have begun making the rounds at La Jolla planning groups.
The La Jolla Planned District Ordinance Committee approved the project June 9; the La Jolla Development Permit Review Committee informally supported the proposal June 10 but deferred a vote until a final review, likely next week.
The application, filed by Marengo Morton Architects on behalf of Maxwell Waitt, co-founder of the first Orli La Jolla hotel nearby on Draper Avenue, seeks coastal development and special use permits “for the reuse of a heritage structure and conversion of an existing 16,683 square-foot, single-dwelling unit to a commercial, 20-room hotel with interior remodel” at 484 Prospect St.
The 0.28-acre site’s building was constructed in 1925 as nurses’ housing for the original location of Scripps Memorial Hospital (opened at 464 Prospect St in 1924 and moved to Genesee Avenue in 1964) and was designed by Louis Gill, nephew of Irving J Gill.
“We are not changing the exterior appearance of the building, with the exception of paint,” applicant representative Claude Anthony Marengo said at PDO.
The paint color will match the original Orli’s color; the Prospect location is meant as an extension of the Draper one, Marengo said.
The bulk of the work will be to convert the interior of the residence to resemble its original construction, he said. One of the rooms will be a residence to fulfill a California requirement that no residences be removed.
The special use permit will allow the team to maintain the structure “that might not otherwise be historical, but is worthy of keeping,” Marengo said, as it honors the contributions of Ellen Browning Scripps, who was “the heart and soul of this neighborhood.”
The project will also be heard at a future San Diego Historical Resources Board meeting to ensure it qualifies, he added.
One of the most noticeable changes: a planned bulb-out at the property’s corner of Cuvier and Prospect. This will address the concerns of several residents of the original Scripps hospital at 464 Prospect St, converted decades ago into a condominium complex.
The condo’s homeowners association members have met with Marengo a few times, he said, concerned about parking access for Orli guests, as the two buildings share a parking garage and the Orli project has 20 spaces in that garage.
The bulb-out will create a valet parking drop-off zone along the property frontage on Prospect; the extra sidewalk space will become a plaza with decorative rebar trees, a bougainvillea canopy and Orli signage, as well as adding more parking along Cuvier.
“We are not going to be having customers and people running through the building and looking for the spaces,” Mareno said, adding the valet service would be contracted through local company Ace Parking and as many Orli guests don’t come with cars, the garage won’t be in use much.
“This is a really good use for this building,” PDO member Andy Fotsch said. “It’s a large building to be a single family residence.”
“it’s a beautiful addition,” PDO member Bill Podway said, noting the project fits well with the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, Wisteria Cottage and other buildings in proximity.
I very much support another hotel in La Jolla,” said DPR trustee Glen Rasmussen. “This is a great project.”
Neighbors of the project asked many questions of Marengo at both meetings about parking and windows.
Other neighbors supported the plans.
“I hope this project moves forward,” 464 Prospect resident Marie Olesen said at DPR, “I think it will be an asset to the residents of 464 and to the community.”
Deborah Marengo recused herself from the PDO vote, which passed unanimously otherwise, due to her relationship with the applicant.
DPR chose not to vote as Claude Anthony Marengo is disputing the need for a coastal development permit. If the project were not a heritage structure, he said, “this would be a tenant improvement because we are not proposing improvements to the exterior” except for the bulb-out.
DPR trustees invited Marengo back for a vote once the city of San Diego clarifies the permit issue.
Once the project is fully approved, Marengo estimates a construction timeline of four to six months.
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