June
2008 | by Sam
Borgese
Is
the Del Mar
community really coalesced
around a unified
vision? Do we
share a vivid
description of
a desired outcome
of our efforts
in creating and
governing our
City? Are all
of our efforts
being expended
towards the same
mental picture
of how we see
our community's
role in our village,
and in the world?
Certainly
I can testify
that many of us,
as residents,
become emotionally
charged when we
believe our individual
visions of Del
Mar are threatened.
There is no shortage
of stories and
differences of
opinion on many
public-governance
issues. However,
are we emotionally
charged with the
substance of a
vision or the
details of its
objectives?
In
fact, I do believe,
Del Mar has a
vision -- a vision
that was crafted
with words and
action by its
founders. However,
I also believe
this vision has
blurred and lost
its clarity in
the years since
incorporation
and creation of
the Community
Plan.
Certainly
the original
vision has been
confronted by
rapid growth in
the surrounding
area. Where once
Del Mar stood
as a small village
surrounded by
ocean to the
west, a small
town to the north
and vast open
space to the east
and south, it
now appears that
only Torrey Pines
State Reserve
protects Del Mar
from becoming
just one in a
continuous series
of communities
from the Mexican
border to Camp
Pendleton and
from the ocean
to Scripps Ranch.
Perhaps
it is time to
reconnect with
our beginning,
to renew our vision
and to bring that
vision to reality.
Perhaps we should
dare to build
upon our founders'
vision with a
renewed vision
of something even
better -- a vision
that will inspire,
and stimulate
our creativity
about how we participate
together as a
community, as
a regional neighbor
and in the world
in general.
If
we set aside our
fears as did the
founders of Del
Mar nearly 50
years ago, then
perhaps we can
honor them and
ourselves by coalescing
around a renewed
vision -- one
that stands as
an example to
ourselves and
other communities
of the extraordinary
results that evolve
from a clarity
of vision, firmly
set objectives
and continuity
of action.
Let's
explore this possibility
together over
a series of articles
as we trace our
founding vision
to the challenges
that vision faces
today.
© 2007-08 Del Mar Community Alliance, Inc. All rights reserved. |
