The applicant for the large home project opted for a committee vote instead of returning with further neighbor collaboration as requested.
After a significant show of neighbor concerns about a large home rebuild at 8303 Prestwick Dr, the La Jolla Shores Permit Review Committee denied project approval at its Jan 15 meeting; the applicant asked for a vote instead when trustees requested a third review and more neighbor outreach.
The plans, which call for new construction of a 6,182-square-foot, single-family residence on a vacant lot with a buried, 2,374-square-foot basement for parking, utility and storage, received conditional approval Nov 19 from the La Jolla Shores Planned District Ordinance Advisory Board, which asked for the applicant for more building articulation on the north side second-floor room.
The first PRC review on Nov 19 resulted in trustees asking applicant representative Roger Sammon of Island Architects for neighbor feedback on those modifications.
But Jan 15, neighbors attended the second project review to express continued dissatisfaction with Sammon’s presentation of setbacks pushed back another few feet for more privacy for the immediate neighbor.
That neighbor, George Keane, still has concerns with the “massive house,” he said, as the setbacks don’t provide enough distance from his home or the street; Keane also stated the large wall is uninteresting and the design does not fit with the rest of the neighborhood.
Keane presented PRC a petition of 17 neighbors agreeing with his objections, many of whom spoke at the meeting.
“Something else, an architectural feature, needs to be added,” neighbor John Eaton said, “so it’s not just a plain blank wall up there.”
Neighbor Pat Miller expressed concern with the proposed change of the preexisting grade of the property, which would add three feet to the lot.
“This would set a very dangerous precedent for our neighborhood and La Jolla Shores,” she said.
“We feel the project should be denied today,” Keane said.
In response, Sammon emphasized the current home, now mostly demolished, had a 15-foot setback and the majority of the new build would have 25- to 35-foot setbacks.
Additionally, the plans do not show “a square block in the way that seems to be portrayed,” Sammon said.
PRC trustee Janie Emerson suggested the committee delay a vote until the applicant met again with neighbors to resolve concerns.
“I think you should have a chance to work on some of these issues with the neighbors,” PRC member Dan Courtney agreed.
Sammon demurred, asking instead for the committee to vote on the project.
“Based on today’s presentation and the concern in the neighborhood, I think it’s imperative that this project in its current state be voted down,” Emerson said in making a motion.
Her motion to deny the project passed 6-0-1, with PRC Chair Andy Fotsch customarily abstaining; the denial moves to the La Jolla Community Planning Association for ratification.
