Residential Customer Del Mar CA, 92014 ECRWSS
Volume XVI, Issue 37
www.delmartimes.net
Sept. 20, 2012 Published Weekly
PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID SAN DIEGO, CA PERMIT NO. 1980
All sides of Prop J: Campaigns have long history with Del Mar revitalization efforts
■ Local resident achieves ‘Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming.’ Page 8
BY CLAIRE HARLIN If Del Mar residents somehow failed to catch wind of the city’s proposed revitalization plan — a 250page development blueprint called the Village Specific Plan (VSP) that’s been in the works for years — they’ll likely hear about it now. Only two days after the council gave final approval of the VSP, sending it to the Nov. 6 ballot as Proposition J, organized campaigns emerged on both sides of the debate. But this division
of the community, which opponent Hershell Price fears could be “hard to put back together,” didn’t completely start with the VSP that is currently on the table. The proponents In 2009, the city made a revitalization attempt with the formation of the Ad Hoc Form Based Code Committee, which sought to rezone property by property, creating a master plan that would take into account factors such as view protection,
noise and traffic — a change from traditional zoning that just focuses on building elements like height, floor-area ratio and setback. The committee’s four members spent well over a year collecting data on every property in Del Mar before the city decided to change direction and start drafting a VSP. But those committee members — Howard Gad, Nancy Sanquist, Kelly Kaplan and Al Corti — kept working on revitalization as vocal residents whose un-
Del Mar Hills ice cream social
■ Cathedral student competes at World Junior Baseball Championship. Page 20
Del Mar Hills Academy students Jack, Ava, Claire and Grace started the school year with a festive ice cream social. See page B12. PHOTO/ JON CLARK
yielding dedication showed through their participation in workshops and feedback at council meetings. Now, they’ve created the FOR Del Mar’s Future campaign, which consists of about seven paid staff members and seven volunteers and is steered by the consulting services of Tom Shepard & Associates. Shepard, a Del Mar resident, was also successful in his direction on two other major local projects: Garden Del Mar and the Del Mar Plaza.
Kaplan said her work on the Form Based Code Committee not only led to her fully-informed support of the VSP, but also made her realize that Del Mar is in critical need to develop — and develop as soon as possible. In a Sept. 12 kick-off event for the campaign, proponents said one of the main focuses will be to combat misinformation about the VSP and present the See PROP J, Page 6
Solana Beach to review allowing private events at community center BY CLAIRE HARLIN The Solana Beach City Council on Sept. 12 approved seeking environmental review to assess the neighborhood impacts of allowing the public to rent the newly renovated Fletcher Cove Community Center for private events and parties. The issue has provoked contention with those living in the neighborhood surrounding the center, who are a minority in comparison to the many residents who want to take advantage of the center, which has a new look and landscape, with picnic tables, benches, upgraded restrooms and
sweeping views. The decision to conduct the review — which will cost upward of $25,000 and examine factors such as noise and traffic — was not a unanimous one. Councilman Mike Nichols dissented, stating that “public funds should not be used for private parties.” “This has snowballed and gotten out of control,” Nichols said, adding that the environmental review may end up costing more than $25,000 because it may reveal more things the city needs to spend money on. “The vision was to have a See COMMUNITY, Page 6
Changes at CV Tennis mean more public access to courts, lower rates
■ Expanded San Diego Film Festival to debut in La Jolla. Page B1
One resident unhappy with city’s approach, fighting for change BY KAREN BILLING Carmel Valley Tennis, located at the Carmel Valley Recreation Center, is undergoing some changes due to
Traditional Sales. Short Sales. Auctions. Steve Uhlir • Broker/Owner • CA DRE # 01452695
858-755-6070 www.SURERealEstate.com
new permit requirements from the San Diego Parks and Recreation Department. Courts are open more to the public and court rates have now been lowered, from $15 an hour to $5 an hour. According to Clay Bingham, deputy director of the San Diego Parks and Recreation Department, the city decided to update and improve its permitting process
late last year, changing the required tennis permit to a special use permit. New requirements of the permit are that a club be a non-profit as defined by the IRS, some very specific insurance requirements, and a maximum fee of $5 per court an hour. The clubs also must allow access to the public 20 percent of the time and that
7 Offers in 5 Days! - Charming Town Home - In Escrow Stunning New Construction - In Escrow 6,000 SF Estate on 4+ Acres - In Escrow 2,500 SF Ocean View Home - In Escrow
Looking for RESULTS - Make the SURE Choice!
20 percent of the time has to satisfy the Parks and Recreation department. “It can’t be Sunday morning from 4 a.m. to 6 a.m., it has to be a reasonable time,” Bingham said. Bingham said that while there was a goal date for the new changes to go in effect for July 1, they didn’t get signatures from all the permit holders until August.
“To prove non-profit status and get all the financial statements, there’s some allowance for it, it takes some time,” Bingham said. “Most of the clubs were already non-profit, but Carmel Valley had always been a different operation.” Bingham said Carmel Valley and operator Becky Kuba had the biggest adjustSee ADDITIONS, Page 6