NEWS LJ narrowly decides to allow new lifeguard tower BY ALYSSA RAMOS | BEACH &BAY PRESS
City of San Diego lifeguards battled with La Jolla planning groups for nearly seven years to gain approval to rebuild the crumbling, now-condemned Children’s Pool lifeguard station – which La Jolla Community Planning Association members passed Thursday, Oct. 2 during their monthly meeting. LJCPA Trustee Tim Lucas expressed the frustration felt by both sides, saying, “There’s been more debate on this than on the bailout bill that’s been going around.” Planning members narrowly passed the motion to recommend the project; voting 8-6 to forward the lifeguard station plans to a city of San Diego hearing officer. According to Lifeguard Lt. John Greenhalgh, the city can now begin building the station, unless someone appeals the decision, he said. Greenhalgh started working with the community nearly seven years ago, he said. At that time, issues with La Jolla’s lifeguard stations seemed tame compared to today’s issues — about a year ago, the city condemned the Children’s Pool lifeguard tower, concerned the crumbling cement and structural cracks could cause the building to collapse. “We worked with the community for seven years,” Greenhalgh said. “We didn’t get exactly what we wanted, but I think it’s going to meet our operational needs.” La Jolla planning group members and city of San Diego project manager Jihad Sleiman agreed on various issues about the Children’s Pool project. Members wanted a narrower access ramp, less landscaping and more plaza. Sleiman said he narrowed a beach access ramp and removed landscaping from the plans. But some members continued to express concerns regarding the tower’s footprint — mainly its impact on the community’s view. “There were concerns about increasing space in the public plaza,” Sleiman said. “We reduced landscaping. The ADA ramp was 12 feet wide and we
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birth and growth of the library at its current location at 4801 Santa Monica Ave. but also the efforts to extend literary outreach that began nearly two decades before. Titlow, who arrived in Ocean Beach in 1929 as a grammar school student, said historical records show a group of OB residents began a grassroots effort in 1909 to begin building wooden shelves at the first informal library site, known as the Sutcliffe Building, on Abbott Street near Santa Monica Avenue. This original site was near where the Ocean Beach lifeguard station now stands, said Titlow, 84. “It wasn’t necessarily ideal,” Titlow said. “There was a merry-goround and skating rink there where they would play all this hurdy-gurdy music while people were trying to concentrate on reading.” According to historical records, the humble reading site took on more vigor in 1916, when Kate
ALYSSA RAMOS | BEACH & BAY PRESS
Lifeguard Lt. John Greenhalgh inspects the crumbling foundation at the condemned Children’s Pool lifeguard station. Many La Jollans argued against building a new station, claiming that it would used for administrative purposes.
narrowed it to 7 feet wide. We even removed a flagpole to accommodate the public’s desire.” But Sleiman’s concessions seemed futile moments after he spoke, when trustees began voicing their concerns regarding lifeguard duties especially relating to the Children’s Pool area. LJCPA trustee Orrin Gabsch opened a Pandora’s box among the other trustees when he said lifeguards would have too much room for daily administrative work in the proposed Children’s Pool tower – an area one trustee said “could be guarded by someone sitting in a chair.” “I think the size of this is beyond what the lifeguard needs and I’m going to oppose it for that reason,” Gabsch said. Trustee Bob Collins spoke after Gabsch. “I agree with Orrin,” Collins said. LJCPA trustee Tony Crisafi said he toured the Pacific Beach lifeguard station, which is larger than the proposed Children’s Pool tower. “I think you have a good argument,” Crisafi said, regarding Gabsch’s concerns about administrative rooms. “But I don’t know if it’s too big for me to approve it.” Then Gabsch said the life-
guards didn’t need the size kitchen that was proposed. “This side is a prime vista point in San Diego,” said LJCPA trustee David Little. “It occurs to me it could be guarded by someone sitting in a chair. It seems to me that the use is administrative offices and storage, and that’s a poor use.” Many trustees said they wanted to use a different design by former La Jolla planning member and architect Phil Merten. But trustee Lance Peto said he witnessed lifeguards saving lives on several occasions from that lifeguard station. “Lifeguards were there in a minute,” Peto said. “Another time I saw two saves from that lifeguard station.” Some trustees said lifeguards went a long way regarding the proposed tower’s design, while others said they wanted to oppose the design, saying they were not “convinced [the tower] is primarily a lifeguard station.” “Someone higher up than us has made the decision those offices should be there,” said LJCPA trustee Darcy Ashley. Ashley made a motion to approve the project, adding conditions such as officials flatten the roof out and that the coastal commission approves the narrowed ramp.
Spani, the principal of Ocean Beach Elementary School next door, led a charge for city backing and began leading the charge to raise funds to furnish the reading room. Titlow said the effort to formalize a library began in 1927, when the city purchased a 100-foot-by100-foot lot at the current site on the corner of Santa Monica Avenue and Sunset Cliffs Boulevard. Records indicate the cost of the lot, building and furnishings was just under $19,000. “It was very popular right from the beginning,” said Titlow. “It was one of the community centers, not only as a library but for all kinds of get-togethers until after wartime (World War II). “I remember in grammar school when I started at Ocean Beach Elementary. Since we were right next door, the teachers would take us kids over to get our library cards,” he said. “And I still remember Margaret Rankin, the librarian. She was a dignified but lovely lady. She kept us respectful but happy.” Beatty confirmed Rankin’s
lengthy tenure as head librarian in Ocean Beach from the 1920s until her retirement in 1959. Change is a constant, according to library officials, who are not only savoring the history and subsequent growth of the facility but also looking ahead. According to Beatty, the last expansion of the OB Library took place in 1966. Plans are now on the table for another renovation, but no formal funding has been allotted to move the project forward. “We’re hoping to move forward on this renovation,” Beatty said. “We just don’t know when yet. The plan was redone last year, and the city did purchase the property next to our current site for the renovation. But aside from the $1.5 million for the property, nothing else has been approved as yet.” For more information about the Ocean Beach Library’s 80th anniversary celebration, call the Friends of the Library at (619) 223-4900 or the library at (619) 531-1530, or visit w w w. s a n d i e g o . g o v / p u b l i c library/locations.
THURSDAY OCTOBER 16, 2008 THE PENINSULA BEACON
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