La Jolla Permit Reviewers Seek More Details on Bird Rock Bluffside Development

Project would renovate and expand an existing house on Calumet Avenue, raising concerns about bluff setbacks and views.

Apr. 15, 2026 at 11:00pm

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A brightly colored, high-contrast silkscreen print of a single, iconic coastal home repeated in a tight grid pattern, utilizing flat, vibrant, and unnatural neon color palettes overlapping with heavy black photographic outlines to conceptually represent the challenges of bluffside development in a coastal community.A vibrant pop art interpretation of the ongoing tension between coastal development and preservation of natural landscapes in La Jolla.San Diego Today

A proposed remodel of a bluffside property in the Bird Rock neighborhood of La Jolla would demolish about 50% of an existing 1,957-square-foot house and renovate it, resulting in a 4,388-square-foot house with an attached garage. The La Jolla Development Permit Review Committee had questions about the fence materials, size, floor area ratio calculations, and bluff setback plans, and asked the applicant team to return with more information.

Why it matters

This project is part of ongoing development and bluff stabilization efforts in the La Jolla coastal area, where homes built decades ago may no longer meet current standards for bluff setbacks. The committee's scrutiny highlights the need to balance property rights, public safety, and preservation of coastal views in these types of projects.

The details

The project at 5386 Calumet Ave. would demolish about 50% of the existing one-story house and renovate the remaining portion, resulting in a 4,388-square-foot house with an attached garage. A previous project resulted in bluff stabilization at the rear of the property, and the new plans would set the house back 13 feet from the bluff. The committee had questions about the proposed fencing, whether the garage square footage was included in the floor area ratio calculation, and requested more details on hardscape, drainage, and the project's relationship to neighboring properties.

  • In 2025, permits were issued for two emergency bluff repairs on Calumet Avenue.
  • Last June, permits were issued for another bluff stabilization project on Calumet Avenue.

The players

Bob Trettin

The applicant whose firm is carrying out a bluff stabilization project on Calumet Avenue, who stated that similar projects would be needed in the area as older homes were not built to current bluff setback standards.

La Jolla Development Permit Review Committee

The local committee that reviews development proposals in the La Jolla community and provides recommendations to the city.

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What they’re saying

“One of the problems is when some of these houses were built, they were approved to have a setback 15 feet from the bluff. That would never happen today. Plus, the bluffs have reached a point where if it fails in one area, it is likely to fail in others.”

— Bob Trettin, Applicant

What’s next

The applicant team was asked to return to the La Jolla Development Permit Review Committee with additional information, including a graphic showing the proposed project in relation to its neighbors, a bluff setback plan, clarification on the floor area ratio calculation, and more details about hardscape and drainage plans.

The takeaway

This case highlights the ongoing challenges of development and bluff stabilization in coastal communities like La Jolla, where older homes may no longer meet current standards for safety and preservation of public views. The committee's scrutiny reflects the need to carefully balance property rights, public safety, and community character in these types of projects.