Complaint accuses La Jolla Community Planning Association of fabricating data on recognition application
The rival La Jolla Community Planning Group wants LJCPA's application disqualified and San Diego City Councilman Joe LaCava to recuse himself from future decisions in the recognition process. A new group challenging the La Jolla Community Planning Association (LJCPA) for official recognition from the city of San Diego has filed a formal complaint alleging that LJCPA board members were instructed to fabricate demographic data on their application for recognition. The complaint, filed with the city Planning Department management team, also demands that the application be disqualified and that City Councilman Joe LaCava, whose District 1 includes LaJolla, recuse himself from future decisions in the recognition process. The new group, the new La Jolloll Community Planning Group, is seeking to replace LCCPA with LJCPG as the official advisory group on land-use issues. LaJollPA's application was approved 4-0 by the Land Use & Housing Committee, which also voted to retain its status as the recognized planning group.
Published : 4 weeks ago by Ashley Mackin-Solomon in
Suzanne Baracchini of the new La Jolla Community Planning Group addresses the San Diego City Council’s Land Use & Housing Committee on March 21 in support of LJCPG’s application for official recognition by the city.
A new group challenging the La Jolla Community Planning Association for official recognition from the city of San Diego has filed a formal complaint with the city, alleging that LJCPA board members were told to fabricate demographic data on the board’s application.
The La Jolla Community Planning Group, which is competing with LJCPA for city recognition as La Jolla’s official advisory group on land-use issues, is asking that LJCPA’s application be disqualified and that City Councilman Joe LaCava, whose District 1 includes La Jolla, recuse himself from future decisions in the recognition process.
The complaint was filed March 20 with the city Planning Department management team.
That was the day before the City Council’s Land Use & Housing Committee voted 4-0 to recommend to the full council that the La Jolla Community Planning Association retain its status as the recognized planning group. The vote came on a motion by LaCava, a La Jolla resident and former LJCPA board member.
As part of updates to council Policy 600-24 (which governs community planning groups) and sweeping reforms the in September 2022, the city’s 42 neighborhood planning groups had to amend their bylaws and reapply for recognition. New groups also were given the opportunity to draft bylaws and operating procedures and challenge existing groups.
The newly formed La Jolla Community Planning Group mounted such a challenge and applied in December for city recognition over LJCPA.
As part of the application process, groups were asked to gather anonymous demographic data related to “community affiliation, race and ethnicity, age and household income to assist in evaluating diversity and representation on the respective groups,” according to city planner Marlon Pangilinan.
LJCPG member Suzanne Baracchini, who was an LJCPA board member until she resigned after the announcement of LJCPG’s application, repeatedly said she observed LJCPA board members being told to provide false information to the city.
In the complaint, LJCPG singles out former LJCPA trustee Greg Jackson and writes that a public meeting Jan. 4 was “a good example of LJCPA membership’s flagrant disregard for change, including less than supportive conduct during the approval of operating rules and bylaws.”
According to the complaint, Jackson suggested at that meeting that the board “make up [demographic] data and submit something.”
Jackson has denied the allegation and declined to comment about the complaint.
LJCPG formally requested “disqualification of LJCPA for consideration based on their approach and actions outlined above, including the blatant disregard for demographic data integrity.”
At the Land Use & Housing Committee meeting March 21, LaCava — who had called for the city’s reforms to planning groups — cautioned about using the demographic data presented during the meeting. He noted that the statistics given by the La Jolla Community Planning Group claiming younger, more racially diverse members who include renters were for people who had not been formally elected.
“I think their interest in serving may or may not be supported by the community and therefore might not provide a meaningful basis,” LaCava said.
Five days later, at a town hall forum LaCava presented at the La Jolla Recreation Center, Baracchini asked publicly that the LJCPA application be disqualified.
“You were provided evidence that the trustees of [the La Jolla Community Planning Association] were instructed to fabricate demographic data as part of their application,” Baracchini told LaCava. “Do you consider that reason for disqualifying the application?
“If any organization was putting forth fraudulent information, isn’t that common sense that you would not want to do business with that organization?”
LaCava responded by saying the application should not be disqualified because “the discussion about the planning groups was never about the people. … Demographics that were offered by the Planning Department were never part of my consideration because it was … irrelevant to the decision-making of which application [to approve]. The two applications that were submitted were essentially the same.
“If you have a complaint about the [La Jolla Community Planning Association], there is recourse, including participating.”
Baracchini accused him of “mixing words” and not answering the question.
In the complaint, LaCava’s objectivity was called into question, given his past involvement with LJCPA.
“[We] would be remiss to not acknowledge council President Pro Tem LaCava’s excellent contributions in helping to create the current CPA structure, operating procedures and bylaws. Councilman LaCava is in his current position in part because of his good work with the LJCPA,” the complaint states. “This process, however, requires a high degree of transparency, fairness and objectivity when impartiality is critical.”
LJCPG expressed concern about LaCava’s “ability to impartially review the two La Jolla applications due to his close ties with LJCPA members, including Greg Jackson. Given the political optics and the impact on District 1’s community, [this] puts Councilman LaCava in an untenable position.”
The complaint requests that LaCava “recuse himself, with respect to the best interest of La Jolla, from the decision process, ensuring impartiality and upholding standards afforded for the other San Diego planning groups involved in this process.”
LaCava did not comment about the complaint other than to say that “all complaints filed with the city alleging planning group misconduct should be investigated. Planning groups must have the trust of the community they represent.”
The full City Council is expected to render its decision on the matter in coming weeks. ◆