Five Down, One To Go
- Dwight Worden | Seaview Avenue
At its June 9th meeting, the 22nd DAA Board of Directors (the Fair Board), narrowed its consideration of a Fairgrounds site for the City of Del Mar to use for at least 61 units of affordable housing to a single site – the Surf and Turf RV Park located just east of Jimmy Durante Blvd. – eliminating all other potential sites that had previously been identified by the 22nd DAA from consideration. A formal Board action is expected at the August 2026 meeting to effectuate these decisions, but the June discussion was clear where the Board is headed.
The discussion that led to the narrowing of potential sites from six to just one occurred after a staff presentation and Board discussion of an extensive (1,763 page) feasibility study conducted by a consultant, Harris & Associates, under a $1.5 million Housing Acceleration Program grant obtained by the City of Del Mar from SANDAG to study potential affordable housing sites on Fairgrounds property. The study evaluated five sites under objective criteria, including lease agreement timing, potential financial feasibility and eligibility for tax credit financing, environmental constraints, ability to be implemented per state and local requirements, no associated conflicts with fairgrounds operations and events, and public health, safety, and security concerns.
Significantly, the feasibility study deemed three sites located in the City of Del Mar to be feasible under all of the objective criteria, but deemed the Surf and Turf RV Park site to meet all of the criteria except for the ability to execute a lease agreement within the time frame required by Del Mar’s state-certified 6th Cycle Housing Element (“6th Cycle HE”).
Significantly, the feasibility study deemed three sites located in the City of Del Mar to be feasible under all of the objective criteria, but deemed the Surf and Turf RV Park site to meet all of the criteria except for the ability to execute a lease agreement within the time frame required by Del Mar’s state-certified 6th Cycle Housing Element (“6th Cycle HE”).
The DAA Board expressed its intent to eliminate from consideration all of the sites located in the City of Del Mar. Because the RV Park is located in the City of San Diego, there are significant hurdles for Del Mar to get credit from the State for any affordable housing built there, likely pushing the project beyond the deadlines in the 6th Cycle HE.
The Fair Board’s discussion on June 6 indicated that further consideration of the RV Park site will go forward only if the City of San Diego indicates a willingness for the credit for housing on that site to go to the City of Del Mar. Ted Miyahara, a recent appointee to the DAA Board with extensive background in affordable housing as President & CEO of the San Diego Community Housing Corporation, noted that annexation of the property could potentially be required for the City of Del Mar to get credit, and that could involve a lengthy process.
22nd DAA CEO Becky Bartling emphasized that the staff report on this matter recommends support of this location “as long as the existing RV park is relocated to a similar location of the same size and scope of what currently exists.” Relocating the RV park could be a significant additional barrier.
Based on the June 9 discussion, it is anticipated that the August 12 meeting of the DAA Board will determine whether the affordable housing effort by the City of Del Mar and the 22nd DAA will continue, focused solely on the Surf and Turf RV Park site, or will be officially ended by the 22nd DAA Board.