Wrelton Drive home project in Bird Rock is cleared by S.D. hearing officer

A controversial project for La Jolla’s southern border that has gone through different iterations — and several local reviews — got the green light from a city of San Diego hearing officer on Aug. 20. 

The proposal would remodel and add to a vacant 3,000-square-foot two-story house at 625 Wrelton Drive in Bird Rock, facing Tourmaline Beach. The house was significantly damaged by a fire years ago and has been vandalized with graffiti in recent years.

The project would result in a three-story house, including a 186-square-foot first-floor addition, a 1,676-square-foot second-floor addition, a 115-square-foot penthouse and decks.

The development was reviewed locally several times in the past two years, ultimately ending with votes against the project. 

But during the Aug. 20 city hearing by Antoinette Gibbs, there were no public speakers or submitted comments in opposition, and Gibbs had no questions for the applicant team. Thus, the project was approved on the consent agenda, meaning there was no presentation or discussion. 

The decision is final unless appealed to the San Diego Planning Commission.

The project has been in talks since 2023, when a different iteration was presented to La Jolla planning groups. The first plan was to add 186 square feet to the first floor and 2,074 square feet to the second floor and create a 115-square-foot third story with decks. 

But the height, overall size and compatibility with the neighborhood worried some who attended meetings of the La Jolla Development Permit Review Committee when the project was heard.

Phil Quatrino, the applicant representative at the time, returned to the DPR with images of how the property would look from the parking lot of the nearby Tourmaline Surfing Park. He did not present a streetscape showing the proposed development in relation to its neighbors or how height limits were being met.

After some debate about whether the committee had enough information to proceed, trustees voted 4-3 to recommend that the city approve the project.

The proposal proceeded to the La Jolla Community Planning Association in August 2023, and LJCPA voted to return the project to the DPR Committee for further review.

However, the applicant team decided instead to proceed to a city hearing, where it was suggested the project be modified to address issues with drainage and setbacks.

The revised plans were presented to the DPR in January this year. Applicant representative Matthew Khalil said at the time that few walls from the original structure remain, but what is left is intended to remain.

He did not present renderings showing how the house would look among its neighbors or how the project complies with setback and height regulations. Thus, the committee asked him to return with such information. The group also wanted to make sure the penthouse feature complies with local building codes.

Having provided only some of the requested information during subsequent reviews, and with concerns about whether a planned second story that “mimics the exact footprint of the first floor” was allowed, the DPR unanimously voted against the project in February.

When the project returned to the Community Planning Association, Khalil pulled the project from the consent agenda for a full review, citing new information the board should consider. 

He did not return for the full hearing, so in April, LJCPA unanimously ratified the DPR Committee’s findings to oppose the project.