SAN DIEGO — After a series of CBS 8 stories aired on a blighted McDonald's in Ramona, viewers wrote in asking about a Jack in the Box in La Jolla that looks to be abandoned.
The fast food joint on the corner of Pearl and Cuvier Streets appears neglected. It's surrounded by tarp-wrapped fence and the Jack in the Box signage has been removed. Some La Jolla locals told CBS 8 that their community is a global destination for tourists that they want to take pride in.
“The public has come to us concerned about the general aesthetic of keeping La Jolla beautiful,” said Treger Strasberg, La Jolla Town Council President.
Strasberg said the community is concerned about this Jack in the Box.
While Working for You, CBS 8 went down to the former fast food joint and spoke with other residents who had similar feelings on the abandoned building.
“Vacant is one thing but this has become an eyesore,” said Gene Barduson, La Jolla resident.
CBS 8 found The Bishop’s School, which sits behind the lot, bought the property in 2021.
“I know that The Bishop’s School in 2021 was going to put the tenant in there to upkeep it and when that fell through there hasn’t been much movement to make sure either a tenant upkeeps it or The Bishop’s School upkeeps it,” said Strasberg.
It’s been two years and it still looks abandoned.
“I guess I was led to believe that The Bishop's School was going to tear it down and build something in addition to their campus. I trusted that was going to happen soon,” said Barduson.
The Bishop's School e-mailed CBS 8 a statement:
We prioritize the safety, health and well-being of our School community and greater community, which includes security of our campus properties.
In September 2021, The Bishop’s School purchased the property at 564 Pearl Street which formerly housed a Jack in the Box restaurant. We have 24/7 security that patrols the entire campus and the Pearl Street property, night lighting for safety and deterrence, full perimeter fencing, and daily use of the site for our bus parking so it is regularly utilized. We maintain the site regularly and immediately repair any damage.
We do not have a specific deadline or timeline for next steps on converting the property to school use in the future, and any future plans will be shared with the community for review. In the meantime, the existing building still is offered for potential lease. If demolition is warranted at some point, we will follow the City of San Diego process for permitting and any work necessary.
“There is a difference between a vacant building that is looking for a tenant and the building that exists there, it's an eyesore for sure,” said Strasberg.
Since CBS 8 started asking questions about the so-called eyesore, the La Jolla Town Council is now putting the issue on the agenda for the next board meeting and inviting Bishop's School to join the conversation.
“That building is not really a good representation of what we want La Jolla to look like so I'm encouraging people at Bishop's to recognize they are a part of this community; therefore, they would want our downtown to look nicer,” said Strasberg.
The City of San Diego Development Services says the Building and Land Use Enforcement (BLUE) Division has not received a complaint and does not have an open case for the 564 Pearl Street location.
A City spokesperson says any vacant property that is not being maintained can be investigated by BLUE. Being an “eyesore" isn't enough for an investigation. The property needs to be either vacant and unsecured or boarded up, for the abandoned properties ordinance to apply. Nuisance conditions need to exist and or code violations.
A complaint can be filed with BLUE here.
The La Jolla Town Council is inviting the public to attend its next board meeting to discuss the vacant property. It will be held at 5 p.m. on October 12 at the La Jolla Rec Center located at 615 Prospect Drive.
At CBS 8, we are always Working for You and our community. This is a station promise that we will go the extra mile to solve a problem our audience can’t solve themselves. We want to hear your ideas on how we can cover and help our community. If you have a story idea, please email us at workingforyou@cbs8.com.
WATCH RELATED: Blighted McDonald's in Ramona has taken years to reopen. Here's why: