A Vote, A Victory… Or Just a Step?
Ron Burgundy:
Well, that escalated quickly. The Art Jury has advanced the project. I’m Ron Burgundy, and that means… we did it. They voted 4–0. Bulk and mass approved. That’s basically a mic drop.
Lilian Rice:
They advanced it to plan review, Mr. Burgundy. That is not final approval – it is continuation. The question is no longer whether the drawings are attractive. It is whether the scale belongs here at all.
When Smaller Isn’t Small
Ron Burgundy:
We reduced the footprint by 20%. Very classy. Very responsible.
Lilian Rice:
A reduction from excessive to merely large does not create harmony. The project still contains roughly 294,000 square feet of building area – a scale that rivals a commercial district.
Process vs. Proof
Ron Burgundy:
The Art Jury process has worked beautifully. It’s a nicer project now.
Lilian Rice:
The process has advanced the project. That is not the same as proving the project fits the Covenant. The process is a filter, not a conclusion.
The Comfort of Percentages
Ron Burgundy:
Also, the project uses only about 26% of the site. Twenty-six. That is a very comforting number.
Lilian Rice:
A percentage can conceal as much as it reveals. One may leave land unbuilt and still introduce a use of far greater intensity, activity, and consequence than the community has ever expected on such a parcel. The issue is not merely how much ground is covered. It is what kind of place is being created.
When Changes Don’t Change Enough
Ron Burgundy:
They made 25 changes. Twenty-five! At some point, Lilian, doesn’t opposition become a little impolite?
Lilian Rice:
Not when the central question remains unanswered. One may refine façades, shift roads, add breezeways, and rearrange cottages, yet still preserve the same essential proposition: a large, continuously operating rental complex in a setting prized for proportion and restraint. Changes in detail do not necessarily cure an error in kind.
Design has been entertained.
Fit has not yet been decided.
Robert Hill is a Covenant member who writes with an eye for the intersection of architecture, governance, and the character of Rancho Santa Fe, with a touch of dry wit.