Residential Customer Del Mar CA, 92014 ECRWSS
Volume XV, Issue 37
www.delmartimes.net
PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID SAN DIEGO, CA PERMIT NO. 1980
Sept. 8, 2011 Published Weekly
SEPT. 2 BOMB SCARE Streets shut down for several hours BY CLAIRE HARLIN Staff Writer L’Auberge Del Mar, located at 1540 Camino Del Mar, was evacuated and streets were shut down for about five hours on Friday night, Sept. 2, following a bomb threat at the resort hotel. San Diego County Sheriff’s Department spokeswoman Jan Caldwell said a call came in to L’Auberge just before 4 p.m. on Sept. 2 warning that a bomb would go off in two hours. As of 8 p.m. on Friday, Caldwell said there were no suspects, and she declined to provide more details about the call other than that the caller seemed to be male. Sheriff’s authorities arrived and the hotel had already begun self-evacuation, with hotel guests and employees flooding into the streets, the beach and Seagrove Park. Harbor Police — the only nearby authorities equipped with bomb-sniffing dogs, Caldwell said — underwent an hours-long search and investigation of the hotel. “Unless we hear a loud noise, all is well,” Caldwell said around 8 p.m., as the search continued. No explosives were found. During the investigation, authorities blocked off Camino Del Mar for several blocks surrounding L’Auberge, with many people unable to get to their homes or places of interest. Caldwell said train traffic was also stopped for the duration of the investigation. Some hotel guests SEE BOMB, PAGE 4
Businesses feel economic impact BY CLAIRE HARLIN Staff Writer Local business owners learned the hard way on Friday, Sept. 2, that in the case of a bomb threat the whole community might take an economic hit. With concern heightened and streets blocked off for almost five hours after L’Auberge resort received a
bomb threat around 4 p.m., Camino del Mar —usually hopping on a Friday night — didn’t see its usual dinner rush. Many businesses reported bringing in only a quarter of their usual revenue. “It was Labor Day Weekend so I would have done a lot more business if the town hadn’t been shut
down,” said Randy Gruber, owner of Americana Restaurant, located at 1454 Camino Del Mar. “There was also an announcement made at the racetrack. I’m not sure the verbiage, but it said there was a problem in Del Mar and traffic was cut off. That doesn’t entice people
SEE IMPACT, PAGE 4
The corner of 15th Street and Camino Del Mar was blocked off for about five hours on Sept. 2. PHOTO: CLAIRE HARLIN
Del Mar, La Jolla business districts show improvement
Del Mar barrel runner
Ian Chartrand takes advantage of a powerful south swell hitting Del Mar on Sept. 4. PHOTO: JON CLARK
BY JOE TASH Contributor Positive signs are evident in both the Del Mar and La Jolla central business districts, although the two villages are still feeling the effects of the 2008 recession. In Del Mar, sales tax revenue is up — as it is in La Jolla — and occupancy of retail storefronts appears to be relatively stable. Meanwhile to the south, in La Jolla, the vacancy rate among restaurant, office and retail buildings is down from a year ago, said veteran commercial brokers familiar with the village, although advertisements for vacancies still adorn windows on many blocks. Interviews with business leaders, brokers, property owners and city officials paint a picture of two
central business districts whose prospects appear to be improving, even as each faces unique challenges on the road to economic growth. Del Mar pushes revitalization With a central business district much smaller than its neighbor to the south — and a greater ability to control its destiny because it is an incorporated city — Del Mar is working to improve its business prospects. The City Council recently voted to move ahead with creating a specific plan to guide the revitalization of the downtown business core, a six-block stretch which runs from 9th to 15th streets along Camino Del Mar. The plan must be approved by a public vote before it can be adopted.
SEE BUSINESS, PAGE 6
Tot at the lot
Highway 101 revitalization could begin fairly soon BY CLAIRE HARLIN Staff Writer A preliminary design of the Highway 101 West Side Improvements Project met overwhelming praise Aug. 31 at a special Solana Beach City Council meeting, in which engineers and architects presented the plan in its entirety. The project, which last came before the council in December, includes curb pop-
JOHN R. LEFFERDINK
619-813-8222
outs, mid-block crosswalks, traffic calming features, median trees and art-inspired gathering places with ample seating. Officials said the project could be underway as early as April, with completion projected for summer 2013. “The goals for the 101 have never changed,” said Peter House, a community member and philanthropist who has been closely provid-
ing support and advice throughout the project. “We wanted to slow down traffic, we wanted to revitalize the 101, we wanted to create more parking and we wanted a walkable downtown — and this does that.” Slowing traffic and making the 101 more pedestrianand cyclist-friendly were
Carson Holtgreve helps the Friends of the Powerhouse celebrate the 10th birthday of the Powerhouse Tot Lot Sept. 3. See more photos, page B15. PHOTO: JON CLARK
SEE HIGHWAY, PAGE 15
Exceptional Service every step of the way! www.johnlefferdink.com
ANGELA MEAKINS-BERGMAN
858-405-9270
LISA KELLEY
858-880-5242
CONNIE SUNDSTROM
858-334-8114