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VOLUME 27 NUMBER 30
JULY 28, 2011
Community voices a variety of opinions on ‘‘Mainstreet’ project at meeting BY KAREN BILLING Staff Writer Planners took a look at the latest information from Kilroy Realty’s “Mainstreet for Carmel Valley” project at the Carmel Valley Community Planning Board’s regional issues subcommittee meeting on July 20. Planners received a great deal of input from the community on the in-development
project planned for the corner of El Camino Real and Del Mar Heights Road, across from Del Mar Highlands Town Center. Recently named “One Paseo,” the project will include residential units, shops, restaurants, office buildings, a boutique hotel and a movie theater with a pedestrianoriented main street running though the center of the project.
The heights of the office buildings are varied—one is a 10-story building with nine stories of office over one floor of retail; another is seven stories over one retail. Offices and the movie theater wrap around a parking structure so it is hidden from view. Currently, Kilroy is entitled to 500,000 square feet on the property and the community plan calls
for just office use. One Paseo’s plan is about 1.8 million square feet (just over 800,000 square feet is for retail and office uses, therefore the balance is for residential and hotel uses) and will require a community plan amendment. The meeting room in the AMN Healthcare building was packed and chair Jan Fuchs said there is probably enough interest
Flower Hill upgrade continues despite dispute
See UPGRADE, Page 7
Surf players take elite title The Del Mar Surf under 17 girls team recently won a national championship in an exciting game. The Surf’s 1-0 victory over Player Development Academy, a team based in Westhampton N.J., was broadcast on ESPN. See page 21 for more. Courtesy photo.
BY KAREN BILLING Staff Writer The missing east to west trail connection through the Del Mar Mesa Preserve continues to be the glaring roadblock in the city’s new resource management plan. The lack of the eastwest link has been called “fatally flawed” by the Del Mar Mesa Community Planning Board and “shortsighted” by the Rancho Penasquitos planning board. Even the Chaparral Lands Conservancy, which watches over the largest acreage of chaparral habitat
left in the state in the preserves, compromised on a connection. Chris Zirkle, deputy director of the city’s open space division, presented the final draft of the Carmel Mountain and Del Mar Mesa Preserve’s plans on July 21 to the Los Penasquitos Canyon Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC), a group whose recommendations on the plan are being closely watched by other city and community oversight groups. See TRAIL, Page 14
DM council members sayw fairgrounds deal not BY JOE TASH Contributor Rumors of the death of the city of Del Mar’s bid to buy the state-owned Del Mar fairgrounds are greatly exaggerated, City Council members said Monday. In comments at a July 25 City Council meeting,
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See MAINSTREET, Page 6
Missing trail link stymies resource management plan
California Coastal Commission issues stop-work order at Flower Hill BY JOE TASH CONTRIBUTOR Construction on a controversial expansion and renovation project at the Flower Hill Promenade mall will continue for now, despite a stop-work order issued by the California Coastal Commission which carries potential fines of $15,000 per day. At issue is a territorial dispute between the commission, which regulates development up and down the California coast, and the city of San Diego. Each entity contends it has the authority to approve the $25 million project at the popular shopping center on Via De La Valle east of Interstate 5. In April, the San Diego City Council unanimously approved the project, and construction began in July.
in the project to hold a community forum in the coming months. Reactions to One Paseo at this meeting, attended by more than 25 people, were mixed. “We don’t need more office buildings,” said local resident Gail Hanson. “ A lot of the office build-
council members downplayed the significance of published reports that a group of horse owners led by businessman Mike Pegram — which had verbally agreed to put up $30 million toward the purchase — has dropped out of the deal. “The conclusion that
the purchase of the fairgrounds is dead because that horseman’s group has pulled out seems to me premature,” said Mayor Don Mosier, in providing an update to the full council on the status of the purchase effort. “There’s a lot happen-
ing, it’s not dead,” said Councilman Mark Filanc, who, along with Mosier, heads up the city’s efforts to buy the fairgrounds. “It’s working. It’s a glacial process.” Last year, before former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger left office, Del Mar
reached an agreement with the state to buy the 400-plus-acre fairgrounds — which includes a horseracing track and grandstands — for $120 million. The property comprises 20 percent of Del Mar’s See DEAL, Page 6
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