The Sandpiper posed four questions to candidates for City Council, with a 200-word limit for each response.
1. CLIMATE ACTION: The City’s Climate Action Plan (CAP) is now 10 years old, and a long-overdue Update is now planned for FY 2026-2027. What are your top three priorities for changes/revisions to the CAP, and why?
2. REGIONAL RELATIONSHIPS: How do you assess the City’s relationships with key regional and governmental partners, including SANDAG, NCTD, the Fair Board, and our representatives in Congress and the state legislature, and what would you do to build on/improve these relationships to the benefit of Del Mar?
3. WATERMARK: Construction is now underway for a 50-unit, 4-story apartment development on the empty lot at the intersection of Jimmy Durante Blvd. & San Dieguito Dr. Earlier, the developer was pursuing a Specific Plan for a 38-unit, 2-story project, with 6 affordable units, 3 to be donated to the City. Do you think the 38-unit project under a Specific Plan would have been a better outcome for Del Mar? What do you think are the “lessons learned” for Del Mar from the Watermark experience?
4. TOP PRIORITY: If elected, what will your top priority be, and how do you plan to achieve it?
Terry Gaasterland’s response to the Sandpiper’s question about Watermark dodges the truth and dares voters to ignore her responsibility for the two key votes she cast in 2020 that caused the Watermark developer to abandon a Specific Plan for a 38-unit development, and pursue, instead, the “by right” development of a 50-unit, 4-story project. The Sandpiper’s recap of these disastrous Gaasterland votes is here: delmarsandpiper.org/2021-05-003/ Watermark attorney Marco Gonzales’s letter to the City reporting the developer’s pivot to a “by right” development placed the blame squarely on the two “no” voters, including Gaasterland,
MoreThe decision of the 22nd District Agricultural Association Board to end discussions with Del Mar about affordable housing after more than two years of negotiations was shocking but not surprising. The 22nd DAA Board (“the Board”) often signaled that it was unlikely to support an agreement for a specific site on the timetable required by the State.
MoreInterview with Jon Edelbrock, Community Services Director & Chief Lifeguard: “Roughly 1.2 million visitors came to our beach (May 1st – August 5th).” Alert lifeguards performed 631 rescues. *On the sand: the beach was “a very nice sandy beach this year, likely due to the sand replenishment to our north in 2024 and the series of summer
MoreOn August 11th, the FDA (finally) approved the mRNA flu vaccine produced by Moderna. Clinical trials involving more than 40,000 subjects over the age of 50 showed that the Moderna mRNA flu vaccine (called mFlusiva), which contained copies of viral hemagglutinin sequences from 4 currently circulating strains, provided more protection than the standard egg-produced killed virus vaccine. The
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Start with a morning pastry and end with a dessert at Desserts by Clement— or stop in any time. Branching out from its shop in Pacific Beach, French native pastry chef Clement Le Déoré creates jewel toned fruit shaped petite cakes and tiny mousse-based bears along with laminated and almond croissants among other singular baked goods and coffee.
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In place of Bully’s, Honor Bar has opened after years of construction behind the green wood fence on Camino Del Mar. Part of the Hillstone Restaurant Group scattered about the country, Honor Bar is cashless and does not take reservations. The menu offers an assortment of sushi rolls and casual fare, a burger, salads and such. There is
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During the first eight days of August, the concert music scene in Del Mar centered around the Del Mar International Composers Symposium (DMICS). Composers, performing artists, and students-in-residence workshopped and performed new concert music pieces. Founded in 2019 by composer and Del Mar resident Jordan Kuspa, DMICS now is in its seventh season. In Jordan’s words, “the
More2026 Fall Benefit: Dinner, Drinks, Dueling Pianos! On October 3, DMCC will celebrate the incredible community support that makes it possible to serve older adults aging independently at home with a night of music and mayhem! The fun-filled interactive evening will feature the Killer Dueling Pianos, as well as a sunset cocktail hour, delicious dinner, and open wine
MoreSeptember 2026
Volume 30, Number 7
Print Edition
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In Brief
AFFORDABLE ENERGY
On August 17th, Rep. Mike Levin (CA-49) met with labor, clean energy, and environmental and consumer advocates for a roundtable of the House Democrats Gas & Utilities Affordability Working Group in Del Mar Town Hall. The group discussed how to tackle rising energy costs and potential solutions to the country’s energy challenges. The participants shared ideas on how to lower energy costs and proposed potential legislative solutions.
Energy prices are rising rapidly in California, straining many households’ budgets. Legacy utilities like San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) are making huge profits, while their rates are the highest in the continental US. Over 20% of SDG&E customers are behind on their payments. Customers are being charged for wildfire damage caused by SDG&E equipment, while SDG&E investors earn a guaranteed profit and are shielded from liability.
The legislative actions proposed by the Working Group, which were not revealed at the press conference following the closed meeting, will depend on the Democrats seizing control of the House of Representatives after the November midterm elections.
NUCLEAR WASTE STRANDED
An all-day symposium on August 20th sponsored by the Samuel Lawrence Foundation focused on what to do about the nuclear waste stranded at the shuttered San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS). Among the many experts testifying, Representatives Mike Levin (D-49th) and Scott Peters (D-50th) provided updates on federal actions relating to removing and storing nuclear waste. They both hoped that the storage cannisters would be moved to an interim or permanent storage facility within 10-15 years. They differed on another important issue: how small, modular nuclear reactors might contribute to future energy needs despite their generation of even more radioactive waste. Rep. Peters was all in for the new technology, even if it takes 10 years or more for commercially viable reactors to reach the marketplace, while Rep. Levin was much more cautious about how to deal with the impacts of adding more nuclear to the nation’s energy mix. Meanwhile, local ratepayers continue to contribute to the nuclear waste cleanup fund, but continued delays may well mean that the fund will be exhausted before the SONGS waste is finally moved.