The City Council referred Mayor Terry Gaasterland’s potential conflict of interest relating to Del Mar’s Short-Term Rental (STR) regulations to the State’s Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) for review and potential action, by a 2-1 vote at the June 16, 2025 Council meeting, with Councilmember Quirk voting no and Gaasterland recused. The heart of the issue: Gaasterland’s non-disclosure to the Council or the public that she has engaged in STR activities, and her failure to recuse from the STR deliberations and decisions based on a conflict of interest because of her STR activities.
MoreAs we celebrate the 4th of July and consider all the challenges facing us in Del Mar, in California, and in the United States, let’s reflect on what true patriotism means.
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Del Mar’s historic Alvarado House that was built on 10th Street in 1885 represents our rich and colorful history. Moved years ago to the Del Mar Fairgrounds, the house is only open
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On June 16, the City Council approved a letter commenting on SANDAG’s Notice of Preparation (NOP), which kicks off the environmental review process for the rail realignment project. Surprisingly, the City for
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Newly opened Saffron and Rose Ice Cream offers refreshing Persian ice cream in a variety of flavors. In addition to their namesake ice creams, saffron and two types of rose, there are
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On June 14th, Del Mar residents lined Camino Del Mar to join citizens across the U.S. in the “No Kings” protest. Photos: Frank Chisari, Julie Maxey-Allison, Art Olson. Protests continue every
MoreWhat is a Climate Action Plan (CAP), and why is updating it so important? It is a document that lists strategies to reduce our Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, which are measured in
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Psychology Today, the magazine that got its start in offices on Camino Del Mar, will celebrate its 60th year in print in 2027. Founder Nicholas Charney who was a graduate student at
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As to the question of which came first, the Monarch butterfly or the egg, as observed, the butterfly. The lady butterfly laid her eggs on the favored milkweed leaves—then fluttered off—starting an
MoreMeasles. I was recently asked if older adults needed to get a booster shot of the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine before travelling abroad. Here is the CDC recommendation: “People born before
MoreWhen the caps fly into the air, does it signal an end or a new beginning? “I kind of saw [high school graduation] as both to be honest,” Eric Lee, a
MoreIwas recently informed by Governor Newsom’s Appointment Secretary that my term on the Board of Directors of the 22nd District Agricultural Association would end the following day. The almost 7 years I
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In mid-July, look for five spectacular outdoor sculptures that will be installed along Camino Del Mar and 15th Street for a 23-month display. And mark your calendar and plan to attend a
MoreFight Fraud! Did you know that the AARP and the Federal Trade Commission total the amount stolen from older adults in the US through fraud schemes in just the last year at
MoreJuly 2025
Volume 29, Number 6
Print Edition
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In Brief
Bluff Housing
Carol Lazier’s case against the City of Del Mar involving the proposal to build 259 housing units (“Seaside Ridge”) on her North Bluff property was dismissed by a Superior Court Judge as “premature” on June 13, 2025. The ruling was based on Lazier’s failure to first exhaust administrative remedies by appealing the Planning director’s decisions deeming her development application “incomplete” to the City Council. Lazier claims that the state law’s “Builders’ Remedy” allows her to proceed with her development because the City was out of compliance with State housing law when the development application was submitted. At press time, the Seaside Ridge developer had not announced its next steps in response to the Court ruling.