New permit in works would make La Jolla Shores outdoor dining permanent

A new right-of-way permit being processed by the city of San Diego would make  permanent the outdoor dining program that has closed a stretch of Avenida de la Playa in La Jolla Shores for five years.

The section between El Paseo Grande and Calle de la Plata has been off limits to vehicle traffic during certain hours since July 2020, originally so restaurants could provide outdoor seating during indoor restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

But the program has remained due to its popularity and has been allowed under a city special events permit that is set to expire Saturday, Aug. 9.

City spokesman Richard Berg said an application for a right-of-way permit was filed by the La Jolla Shores Business Association in an effort to make the stretch of street dining — called a promenade — a permanent fixture that would not have anexpiration date nor require renewals.

The existing permit was issued by the San Diego Special Events & Filming Department, while the new permit is being processed through the Development Services Department, Berg said.

When asked whether approval of the right-of-way permit is expected before Aug. 9, Berg said “The city is working with the applicant, who is aware of the expirationand diligently pursuing their permit.”

La Jollan Phil Wise, who spearheaded The Shores outdoor dining project and has since worked to keep it alive, declined to comment.

A permanent extension of the promenade on Avenida de la Playa could renew a focus on providing parking spaces elsewhere to replace those lost to the outdoor dining.

In 2023, the San Diego City Council consented to new California Coastal Commission regulations that require establishments closest to the beach to replace any public parking spaces taken by dining areas they operate on the street. The new spaces must match the number lost.

The replacement spaces must be provided either onsite or through a shared parking agreement with a third party, such as a nearby business or residential complex that has extra parking. Any replacement parking must be within 1,200 feet (less than a quarter-mile) of the lost spaces.

Several proposals to replace 24 spaces in La Jolla Shores have been floated, with one iteration getting narrow support from the La Jolla Shores Association board in August 2024.

That plan would reduce the width of a sandy berm that divides the Kellogg Park parking lot on the west side of Camino del Oro and create 24 new parking places on the newly opened space. The new parking strip would run the same length as the parking lot, from approximately where it meets El Paseo Grande to Calle Frescota.

The plan was sent to the Development Services Department for review. The current status was not immediately available.

Some opponents have argued that the outdoor dining program is no longer necessary with pandemic restrictions long over and therefore the street parking on Avenida de la Playa should be restored.

One vocal opponent of the promenade, Shores resident Tricia Riha, criticized the city this week for what she called a lack of communication throughout the process and questioned where people can park since they “lost our whole street.”

She also voiced concerns about where people can load and unload passengers and where delivery trucks can make drop-offs.

“If the city issues the permit without any parking, then it is just too bad for the neighborhood,” Riha said. “The chaos in the streets around the blockade is pathetic.”

“It started with COVID, [but] there is no more COVID,” she added. “Open the street.”