Shores Park Plans Progress

A master planning effort to renovate Shores Park—bordered by Camino Del Mar, 9th Street, and Stratford Court—has resumed with the appointment of a citizen advisory committee and a new contract with Schmidt Design Group. The 5.3-acre site was acquired in 2008 through a combination of community fundraising, prepaid rent from The Winston School, and proceeds from the sale of an open-space lot on Balboa Avenue.   Between 2015 and 2018, the City conducted extensive outreach to identify community priorities for the future park.

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Fairgrounds Housing in Jeopardy

At their March 10th meeting, the Del Mar Fair Board had a prolonged discussion about meeting the timeline that the state Housing and Community Development (HCD) Department has established for the City of Del Mar to execute a lease agreement with the Fairgrounds for a site for affordable housing units. That deadline is set as November 15, 2026, and the board took action to extend the negotiation period with Del Mar to that date.   Additional changes to the Exclusive Negotiation Rights Agreement (ENRA) were approved by the Fair Board on March 10th.

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Editorial: Leadership Over Politics

Protecting Del Mar’s long term interests often requires our Council to make difficult decisions in present time that will benefit us in the future. This is often difficult to accomplish for short term political reasons, but we need leaders who can rise above political gain when the stakes are vital for our future.

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Downtown Doings

It’s open! Manager PJ Missan and team are ready with 24 flavors of Häagen-Dazs ice cream and various ways of serving them. Seating tables are inside and outside on the patio.   Hours: Sunday-Thursday 12 PM-8 PM, Friday and Saturday, 12 PM-10 PM. 1201 Camino Del Mar. Urban Girl has moved south and

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Missed Vax Opportunities

The 2025–2026 flu season has been severe, driven by a highly mutated H3N2 variant (subclade K) that became dominant in late 2025. As of March 2026, the CDC reports high severity for children and moderate for adults, with at least 26 million illnesses and 21,000 deaths. Vaccine effectiveness is estimated at 24%–36% for

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Frozen Zoo

Biotechnology forges ahead. Soon scientists will be able to generate great quantities of genomic data from San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance’s Frozen Zoo—a cache of 50 years worth of cells saved from rare and endangered animals cryopreserved (at -320 degrees F). A new partnership formed between the Zoo and the gene-sequencing company Illumina

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Happy Hours in Del Mar!

We are continuing our journey around Del Mar, looking for happy hours, and have found some great ones to share with you!   Head over to the center of Del Mar and visit the Living Room Bar at L’Auberge. Settle in on the comfortable couches or, if you prefer, sit at the bar.Drink

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Community Gardens Day

Mark your calendars for Saturday May 9 between 10 am and 12 pm for the Del Mar Garden Club (DMGC) Community Gardens Day, where you can explore the unique gardens maintained by the DMGC, including those at Del Mar’s Post Office, Community Center, and Library.   At the Del Mar Library, Dr. Michael

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Dogs of Del Mar: UPS Stormie

Hello Del Mar! My name is Stormie, and I’m a Yorkshire Terrier. I come from a long line of family-owned Yorkies, and I was a gift to my mom from her mom – my abuela. My abuela wanted to ensure that all her children had a Yorkie that came from her own Yorkie,

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Del Mar Community Connections

Don’t miss the Del Mar Senior Fair on Saturday 4/18! Planning for the first-ever Del Mar Senior Fair in partnership with the Del Mar Farmers Market is well underway. On Saturday April 18 from noon until 4pm, while the Farmers Market is going on downstairs at the Civic Center (1050 Camino Del Mar),

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April 2026
Volume 23, Number 3


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In Brief

10 for 55

On March 3, the City Council approved an Affordable Housing Regulatory Agreement with  Watermark DM, L.P., detailing the provisions that will govern the Watermark project’s 10 affordable units which are required to be deed-restricted for a 55-year period. The Watermark project’s building and engineering reviews have been completed, and following administrative Coastal Development Permit approval, the Building Permit can be issued. Construction is anticipated to begin within the next several months.

 


 

Visible evidence of vanishing bluffs. Just north of Dog Beach. Looks like more to come down. Photos: Julie Maxey-Allison

Wires coming down on Stratford. Poles next. Photo: Julie Maxey-Allison

After the rains bluffs rebuilding

Photos: Julie Maxey-Allison