Despite being denied approval from La Jolla reviewers, the plans to remodel and add to an existing, dilapidated property will move forward.
A project to remodel and add to a dilapidated home at 625 Wrelton Drive received San Diego hearing officer approval Aug 20, months after local reviewers unanimously denied the applicant’s request for approval.
The plans call for renovation to the 3,027-square-foot two-story single-dwelling unit, with additions of a 186-square-foot first floor addition, 1,67- square-foot second-floor addition, 115-square-foot penthouse and decks.
The project was approved on the hearing officer’s consent agenda, meaning there was no opposition present and no formal presentation.
“This decision is final, unless appealed to the [San Diego] Planning Commission,” said hearing officer Antoinette Gibbs.
The storied house has sat unoccupied since 2019, when the previous owner died and authorities later discovered unstable, illegal chemicals requiring evacuation of neighbors and controlled detonations.
The house sold in 2020 but by 2022, the house had become covered in graffiti, with neighbors concerned about teenagers using the house for parties and drugs.
The house, which overlooks the Tourmaline Surfing Park parking lot, now stands in a state of disrepair, without walls and still mired in graffiti and dead landscaping.
The designs amend a 1991 coastal development permit and update a 2023 application to change the architectural style of the house, make it larger and more.
Upon La Jolla Development Permit Review Committee reviews earlier this year, the project failed to meet approval after the applicant did not answer questions or provide project drawings and details to the trustees’ satisfaction.
The applicant instead asked for a vote and proceeded to the city of San Diego for further review.
