Housing Paused, Un-Paused
- Betty Wheeler | Seaview Avenue
A petition filed in Superior Court against the City of Del Mar by North Bluff property owner Carol Lazier, the applicant for the 259-unit Seaside Ridge development, is back on track, following an agreed-upon pause while an appellate court considered a legal case involving similar issues in La Cañada Flintridge (LCF). Faced with a $14 million appeal bond, LCF ended its appeal on March 4, allowing the challenged development to proceed under the same “builder’s remedy” State law provisions that Lazier and Seaside Ridge developers are relying on. Notably, the State Attorney General and the State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) intervened in the LCF case on the side of the developer. The Seaside Ridge petition is now scheduled for a June hearing.
A second housing pause has also ended, albeit with “belt and suspenders”: Negotiations between Del Mar and the Fairgrounds (22nd DAA) for affordable housing on Fairgrounds property have resumed based on a vote on Tuesday, March 11, by the 22nd DAA Board. At its February meeting, the Board had mandated a “temporary pause” on negotiations, based on “continued advocacy” by Mayor Terry Gaasterland for a Fairgrounds rail realignment.
At the March 11 meeting, a City team led by Deputy Mayor Tracy Martinez urged the 22nd DAA Board to resume discussions on affordable housing, under the Exclusive Negotiating Rights Agreement (ENRA) agreed to by the City and the 22nd DAA in April 2024.
Martinez emphasized that the City “stands by” the Council-adopted Guiding Principles that state “SANDAG must respect and protect the operational, economic, environmental and planning needs of the 22nd DAA…” in the LOSSAN realignment program, and said, “Your success is our success; your challenges are our challenges.” City Manager Ashley Jones and Principal Planner Amanda Lee stressed the ENRA “due diligence” activities funded by a $1.5 million SANDAG “Housing Acceleration Grant,” noting that technical studies funded by the grant will be beneficial to the 22nd DAA in its master planning process.
By a 6-1 vote, the 22nd DAA Board voted on March 11 to resume discussions. Director Joyce Rowland’s motion included what she described as a “belt and suspenders” provision that will place the affordable housing matter on the agenda for every Board meeting going forward, allowing the Board to take prompt action in the future, if deemed warranted. Director Mark Arabo, who voted for the motion, stated that “there should be an outright termination of ENRA if Del Mar goes and supports an alignment that hurts the Fairgrounds.”
Editors’ note: Editorial Board member Don Mosier serves on the 22nd DAA Board of Directors. He does not participate in writing or editing any Sandpiper articles relating to affordable housing on the Fairgrounds, or potential Fairgrounds rail alignments.