RSF Association committee returns to Art Jury name

The Rancho Santa Fe Association’s Covenant Design Review Committee is now the Art Jury, again.

The Art Jury was established in 1927 to oversee building, landscaping and grading permits by following the Rancho Santa Fe Protective Covenant’s bylaws, regulations and guidelines. RSF Association Manager Christy Whalen said the Association wants to return to its historic roots for consistency and to clear up a lot of confusion they hear on a daily basis. As she noted, all of the Association’s legal documents still refer to the Art Jury.

“(The CDRC) name is difficult administratively and legally it’s not the name of that entity,” Whalen said. “Besides, it’s a mouthful.”

The Association board changed the name to the CDRC in 2013, as an attempt to “enhance the reputation of the Art Jury and for people to see it immediately as an asset with a name that is welcoming and modern,” according to then-board President Ann Boon. At the time, the Art Jury name was considered “archaic”—other working names the board considered were Design Review Board and Architecture Review Board.

Art Jury member Janet McVeigh said the CDRC board had voted 4-1 in favor of keeping the CDRC name.

“What we actually do is more of a design review, that was the biggest argument to leave it as the CDRC,” said McVeigh, explaining that the volunteer board does not see themselves as jurists but more as participants in a collaborative process with applicants.

The Association board voted unanimously to change the name at its Dec. 5 meeting and also appointed two new Art Jury members to three-year terms. The board had five candidates for the two open seats and appointed Jack Queen and Bill Danola. Queen, a former RSF Association board member, is currently serving the remainder of Jane van Praag’s term after she resigned in April. Danola has served on a number of Association committees and is a former president of the RSF Golf Club. Danola will replace Sandy Johnson, who termed out. At the meeting, RSF Association President Rick Sapp thanked Johnson for her service to the community.