La Jolla Community Plan

by Councilman Scott Peters
November 2003

La Jolla is a special place with a unique history and a neighborhood character that has developed and matured over time. Protecting that community character has been a priority for me and that is why I pursued a community plan update for La Jolla. The community plan update was approved by the City Council on November 4th. Unfortunately there was a campaign of misinformation in the run-up to the plan's approval that I believe misled La Jollans about the nature and effect of the Community Plan. I have answered many of the questions people have raised on the La Jolla section of my web site at www.sandiego.gov/cd1. Please review the web site and feel free to contact my office at 619-236-6611 to ask questions, before assuming what you may have heard is true.

Community plans are typically updated every 5 years, but La Jolla's plan has not been updated since 1983. And while the community plan hasn't changed, new laws and regulations have been passed that have created a confusing hodge podge of land use regulation in our community. The purpose of any community plan should be to establish a land use policy that minimizes ambiguities and creates certainty for land owners as they embark on construction or remodels. We have all heard the horror stories of a friend or neighbor who spent several years and thousands of dollars winding their way through the City and Coastal Commission under the current plan, only to have their project be denied at the very end of the process. This is not a fair way to treat homeowners, and that is why I have tried to bring some regulatory certainty to the process. Until now, our town has been governed by four different local plans, the City's Land Development Code, and the California Coastal Act. All of these have separate overlay zones and confusing regulations. The plan approved by the City Council consolidates the local plans and gives property owners more regulatory certainty while establishing a clear vision for the future of La Jolla.

The update is a document created out of compromise by many people in the community over the last several years. The draft plan was approved by the City Council in June 2002, but due to La Jolla's location on the coastline, our plan is required to be reviewed by the California Coastal Commission. The Commission approved the plan in February 2003, making a number of amendments. Some of the amendments were significant, but most were stylistic. I would have preferred that the Commission show more deference to the work we've done locally in La Jolla, and I personally have been an advocate for local control, but I'm not able to dictate the actions of the Commission.

The Coastal Commission has as many detractors as they do fans, but one thing is certain, their jurisdiction over the plan is undisputed. The voters of California endowed the commission with broad powers as part of a 1972 statewide voter initiative. Many other coastal jurisdictions have had difficulties with the Coastal Commission. In the most extreme case, the Coastal Commission imposed on the City of Malibu a local coastal program, because Malibu had rebuffed the commission for years. Malibu's plan is now one of the most restrictive plans in the state. Although the Commission made some changes to our plan, many at my objection, I believe that La Jolla got the best deal it was going to get from the commission. Starting over would not have accomplished anything and could have brought stricter regulation in the next go-round.

Some have alleged that the new plan will reduce property values in La Jolla. If I believed that I would not have supported this plan. In fact, this plan will likely have little to no effect on most property owners in La Jolla, but will rationalize the regulations of the beaches, hillsides and open spaces that we all enjoy together. La Jolla deserves an updated Community Plan that protects our unique character and provides certainty and guidance to every homeowner who is contemplating reconstruction, remodeling, or even landscaping on their lot, and that is what the approved plan does.

Again, I encourage you to review the questions and answers on my web site. If you have additional questions or would like to discuss how the plan may affect your property, please contact my office.