Important City Council Hearing Impacting Trees on Mon., October 20
- Jennifer Anderson | Serpentine Drive
The views expressed in this Alert also reflect the views of the Sandpiper Editorial Board.
This coming Monday, October 20th at its 4:30 p.m. meeting, the Del Mar City Council will conduct a second public hearing on the Introduction of an ordinance to repeal and replace Del Mar’s Trees, Scenic Views, and Sunlight (TSVS) regulations.
There is a significant NEW proposed change in the ordinance since the initial public hearing on July 7th. The new revision includes one that would radically alter the careful balance Del Mar has long maintained with respect to trees, views and sunlight.
The new proposed change to “Expand Sunlight Obstruction eligibility from being just the Primary Living Area (PLA) to any affected areas within a residence” is a very significant change to our existing TSVS ordinance and could greatly impact the tree canopy and character of Del Mar. In effect, what it means is that an Applicant can seek relief/restoration of sunlight obstructed from reaching any room or rooms of a residence instead of just the Primary Living Area. Essentially, all trees within a 360-degree radius of every residence in Del Mar are at risk if they are shading any room in any residence.
Prior to this new, aggressive proposed change in the ordinance, sunlight was protected in the primary living area (consistent with view protection) and to existing Solar Energy Systems (by the state Solar Shade Control Act). This proposed, aggressive change creates an imbalance, by prioritizing sunlight protection over both trees and scenic views (inconsistent with the City Council-approved guiding principles) and would likely ignite new neighbor disputes and burden staff workload. Moreover, it greatly threatens our Community Plan (Chapter 23.50, Trees).
Please weigh in on this important matter by reviewing the proposed ordinance changes and sharing your feedback with our City Council by speaking at the City Council meeting on Monday, Oct 20th, or by submitting a red dot no later than noon on Monday.
See proposed ordinance changes in the Council Packet (click on “Item 13 – TSVS Amendments” in the Table of Contents to jump to the TSVS materials):
https://www.delmar.ca.us/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_10202025-3758
