Regional Character and Considerations - (Original Page No. 11)  

The San Diego region, supporting a population of over a million-and-a-half people, enjoys an exceptionally attractive climate. Its physical characteristics, coastline, beaches, mountains, in-land valleys, and desert are striking. The City of San Diego, the metropolitan core of the region with over four-fifths of the total population, is located approximately 125 miles south of Los Angeles and approximately 20 miles north of the Mexican border.

Del Mar is a small residential community located on the coastal fringe of the San Diego region 20 miles north of the San Diego Civic Center and five miles north of the San Diego campus of the University of California. It is the southernmost of six small but rapidly growing beach communities in the northern portion of the County. To the south and east, it is bordered by the City of San Diego; to the north, by the unincorporated community of Solana Beach. Del Mar is bounded by the beach for about two-and-one-half miles and extends inland one mile at its widest point.

Population growth in the northern portions of the San Diego region has increased substantially in recent years and is expected to continue to increase at a high rate in the future. As an example, the projected population for the northern portion of the City of San Diego indicates an increase of 64,000 persons between 1974 and 1990. This growth, coupled with accelerating increases in northern San Diego County population will create heavy demands on the use of Del Mar's beaches, retail facilities, and roadways.

Although a legally incorporated city, Del Mar is bound by a complex set of physical, economic, and social relationships to the San Diego region. To plan for Del Mar's future, it is necessary to view the City in terms of its setting in the region. The Comprehensive Planning Organization serves as the planning agency for the San Diego region, and the City of Del Mar is a supporting member of this organization. Because of these factors, the 1974 CPO regional goals have been thoroughly reviewed and integrated into this Community Plan wherever feasible.