UCSD’s growth plans are unjustified and damaging
A recent article discussed the UC San Diego chancellor’s plans for the future of UCSD enrollment and its effect on campus housing (“As UCSD continues to eye new housing, chancellor has an idea — a village for up to 6,000 students,” Sept. 21, La Jolla Light). The new vertical “village” to house 5,000 to 6,000 students is considered as the campus pushes to attain an enrollment of 50,000.
This, as well as the towers currently under construction, seems to make all of the local planning and development reviews and processes exercises in futility. Too often, disputes break out over the sacrosanct 30-foot height limit if it appears the applicant is four or five inches over if the local reviewers actually understand the city of San Diego’s methods of height compliance. How silly is all that given the visual blight being foisted on La Jolla with no actual limit other than the University of California’s budget for such things.
This really unjustified push to reach some (current) magic number of students (why?) will not only affect the visual quality that the local rules try to protect but will further and dramatically affect the local housing market that is struggling right now to provide enough housing, let alone rationally affordable (to most people). Our local groups really should unanimously a consistent campaign of urging the UC system to rethink its priorities regarding the UCSD campus.
Dan Linn
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Let the public back into Scripps Coastal Reserve
Regarding the Scripps Coastal Reserve, thank you for the recent article (“La Jolla Shores board to ask that Scripps Coastal Reserve be reopened ‘immediately,’” Sept. 21, La Jolla Light).
While I may not personally be a resident of La Jolla, this has been something many of us have enjoyed for decades. Sure, they could say there are dangers, as there are at Sunset Cliffs, Torrey Pines, Yosemite, the Grand Canyon, etc. There are always dangers. People need to be personally responsible for their own actions to some extent. I actually the gate [at Scripps Coastal Reserve] due to the camper/squatter/homelessness issue. The sunrise-to-sunset hours were sufficient.
This land was warranted to be closed for COVID only when we were unaware how it spread and lacked a vaccine. We now know that outside is of almost zero risk of contracting the disease, which has evolved into a less deadly, treatable disease that we have vaccines for.
The many wild inhabitants of the land, like the rabbits, spiders and snakes, are mostly nocturnal, when the trails are closed.
These coastal lands should be available to be enjoyed by the residents and visitors to La Jolla and beyond to the extent possible.
Adam Young
UCSD must obey the Coastal Act
The California Coastal Act is the law. There has been no dispute, even from UC San Diego itself, that the university violated that law by changing public access at Scripps Coastal Reserve without a coastal development permit. While it is possible that university leadership was initially unaware of this Coastal Act violation, they certainly cannot plead ignorance to the fact that the university is in ongoing violation of the law by continuing the closure after being notified by the California Coastal Commission.
The audacity of this unlawful action is further amplified by the fact that Scripps Coastal Reserve is directly across from and overlooked by UC San Diego’s official chancellor’s residence.
Public access to Scripps Coastal Reserve is not the only thing at UC San Diego that needs to be restored. More importantly, the university needs a restoration of law-abiding leadership.
Georgine Brave
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La Jolla needs to decide sea lion issue for itself
It’s sad to see La Jolla be told by San Diego city leaders what to do for your Village (“San Diego City Council finalizes year-round closure of Point La Jolla,” Sept. 21, La Jolla Light).
Don’t we already have too many sea lions? Do we really need to breed more?
La Jolla, separate from San Diego as soon as possible. Become your own city with your own right or wrong. Have the San Diego City Council add some barges in front of Seaport Village for the next generation of sea lions, since the City Council must like that smell.
Josef Rennleitner
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