ENCINITAS — On Thursday evening, the Encinitas Planning Commission met to approve multiple consent calendar items, including the Vulcan Tower renovation at 609 South Vulcan Avenue in Old Encinitas.
Initially, the Vulcan Avenue building was multi-use for business and a school. In 1992, the Planning Commission authorized the operation of a graduate school with an associated acupuncture clinic and offices on the second floor of the existing three-story commercial building.
The school expanded into the first floor, mezzanine space and eight parking spaces.
The new plan, proposed by applicant Keith Harrison of Harrison Properties in 2021, hopes to improve what is already there and update it to a more modern feel.
The goal of the Planning Commission meeting was to get approval for a major use permit modification, design review permit, and coastal development permit for remodeling the existing commercial office building. Another meeting also approved removing an educational institution under a major use permit.
The hope for the proposed project design on the 1983 building that has 8,521 square feet is to create a more coastal modern design that blends in with the existing and adjacent buildings.
With a five to zero unanimous vote, Commissioner Robert Prendergast carried the motion to approve, with Commissioner Stephen Dalton seconding the motion.
The three-story building is still in the beginning phases of its renovation, with many more reviews and hearings to come.
