A new development proposed for Cave Street in La Jolla’s Village has some concerned that it could reshape the area’s character — and that it could go through without local review.
According to a notice from the city of San Diego, an application for a coastal development permit would tie two lots together and build five new 1,494-square-foot two-story duplexes. The parcels are at 1271 and 1277 Cave St.
There currently is a cottage house at 1277, and 1271 is a vacant lot.
The listed applicant is Ashley Prikosovits, who could not immediately be reached for comment.
That section of Cave Street has some small houses, office spaces and Congregational Church of La Jolla. Two of the cottages on the block — at 1261 and 1263 — are historically designated, and the church has been there for more than 100 years.
Thus, the proposed change from cottage to condos worries Seonaid McArthur, chairwoman of the La Jolla Historical Society’s Landmark Committee.
“The cottages of Cave Street reflect a simple time in La Jolla,” McArthur said. “Those wood cottages often had gardens in the back to grow one’s own food because that was the lifestyle into the 1940s. That whole street and around the corner had little cottages and a cottage court up the street because the electric car would drive through La Jolla around there [in the early 1900s].
“These are some of our very few remaining cottages. While they are not as sturdily built as homes today, they reflect an era and a lifestyle that we have come away from.”
She said she is concerned about one project being built that differs from the neighborhood character, setting the stage for others.
“When I speak to architects in town, I want them to look at The Village and the cumulative effect of each of these buildings,” she said. “It’s tearing down history bit by bit. There has been this transformation of these little cottages, and if it continues, the feel of The Village will change.”
McArthur, who shepherded the effort to have the La Jolla Park Coastal Historic District listed on the National of Historic Places, said she believes the cottages’ historic feel draws people to La Jolla.
“They like the character and look of La Jolla and these cottages,” she said. “But as they get torn down, what will the town be in the end? The character that drew them in is gone.”
Of further concern to McArthur is that the decision on the project will be made by city staff without a public hearing no less than 30 days after the distribution of a notice on the project, which was dated June 25.
The city has various levels of project review — called processes — based on complexity and potential impact. The Cave Street proposal has been listed as Process 2. Thus, it will undergo a Development Services Department review, with staff making the decision to approve or deny.
The decision will be final unless appealed to the San Diego Planning Commission. Should any appeals be filed, the commission would hold a hearing on them. ♦
