Public Facilities - (Original Page Nos. 17 and 18)

In planning for the future of Del Mar, it is important to understand and consider existing public facilities and services available for Del Mar residents.

Educational Institutions

The Del Mar Union School District, as a legal entity, is responsible for the education of pupils in Kindergarten through grade eight. All of the City of Del Mar and approximately 23 square miles to the east and south of Del Mar, in the City of San Diego, are within the boundaries of the district and the same tax rate to support the schools is levied throughout the district.

Seventh and eighth grade pupils are educated by the San Dieguito Union High School District at Earl Warren Junior High School, with financial support from the Del Mar district under tuition transfer agreement.

As of November 1974, 1119 pupils attended the three schools within the Del Mar district. 320 of those pupils were residents of Del Mar. Attendance at each school is determined by grade level and program rather than geographic location. The three schools were operating near, or above, pupil capacity in 1974.

Del Mar Shores school, located in the City of Del Mar on a five and one-half acre site, houses fifth and sixth graders and a few fourth graders in the district. Optimum capacity of this school is 300 pupils. Del Mar Heights school, located on Boquita Drive east of the City of Del Mar, is on a ten acre site and serves Kindergarten through fourth grade pupils district-wide. This school can house 550 pupils with Kindergarten on single sessions and rooms for special programs. Del Mar Hills school is located on Mango Drive in the Del Mar Hills area. This school is on a nine acre site and serves pupils in grades one through three. The Hills school is the only school in the district where permanent facilities can be added. The capacity of this school could be expanded to serve 500 pupils. Current facilities are being used by 209 pupils.

In 1974, approximately 8% of the population of Del Mar was in the elementary age group. This percentage is down from 11% in 1970 and seems directly attributed to the increased amount of multi-family development in the city. Factors used by the Del Mar Union School District in estimating numbers of elementary students are: .6 times each single family home, .22 times each condominium unit, and .1 times each apartment unit.

As of 1974, the Carden School, a private coeducational day school located east of Del Mar for grades Kindergarten through eighth, accommodated over 20 students who are Del Mar residents. The European Montessori School near Del Mar served a few Del Mar children, and nearly 90 Del Mar students in grades one through eight attended the Saint James Academy in Solana Beach in 1974.

The San Dieguito Union High School District covers an area from Batiquitos Lagoon in Leucadia to the Soledad Valley south of Del Mar. The District, which extends eastward into the City of San Diego almost to Lake Hodges, operated two junior high and high schools as of 1974. Del Mar students attend Earl Warren Junior High School and the recently completed Torrey Pines High School east of Interstate 5. The enrollment at Earl Warren was over 900 students in 1974, and nearly half of them lived in Del Mar.

Del Mar residents also attend area colleges and universities. The University of California at San Diego estimated that as of 1974, 500 of its students were Del Mar residents.

Religious Institutions

The various religious denominations represented in Del Mar appear to be well served by churches in or near the city as of 1974. Saint Peter's Church (Episcopal) had 105 Del Mar families as members of their congregation. The Calvary Lutheran Church served 32 families and the Unitarian Fellowship of San Dieguito, located near Del Mar, had ten Del Mar member families. The Saint James Parish (Catholic) located in Solana Beach counted at least 200 Del Mar families in its parish.

There were no synagogues located in Del Mar as of 1974. The attendance or membership of Del Mar residents at synagogues in neighboring communities appears to be minimal.

Health Care

As of 1974, health care for Del Mar residents seems adequate in terms of primary facilities. Primary facilities included doctors' offices and clinics, and both Del Mar and the unincorporated area of Solana Beach to the north have an adequate supply of such facilities.

Secondary health care is available to Del Mar residents from Scripps Memorial Hospital (363 beds 4½ miles from Del Mar). Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation (158 beds 4½ miles from Del Mar—to be completed in 1976), Sharp Memorial Community Hospital (435 beds 12 miles from Del Mar), Children's Hospital (90 beds 12 miles from Del Mar) and Mesa Vista Hospital (110 beds 12 miles from Del Mar).

Extensive development east of Interstate 5 in the northern portion of the San Diego region may limit the adequacy of secondary health facilities in the future.

Fire Protection

Del Mar maintains its own Fire Department. As of 1974 this department was headquartered on Jimmy Durante Boulevard at the Fairgrounds. The Fire Department is responsible for fire fighting and suppression within the City limits and, in addition, the enforcement of the Fire Code, fire prevention programs, planning for disaster preparedness and response to calls for everyday assistance such as rescues, resuscitation and vehicle accident calls.

The headquarter facilities are presently inadequate both in terms of geographic location within the community and internal space needs. In addition, the location of the headquarters directly adjacent to the San Dieguito floodway and within the 100-year flood plain is a questionable site for this public facility.

Law Enforcement

Law enforcement services for the City of Del Mar are provided under contract with the San Diego County Sheriff.

In 1974, one sheriff's vehicle was located in Del Mar approximately two-thirds of the time, with supplementary services and backup provided by other vehicles dispatched from a substation in Encinitas.

According to County estimates, the amount and rate of major criminal offenses and traffic accidents was below average for San Diego County and no particular problem areas or issues were noted.

City Administration Facilities

As of 1974, City Administration offices were located in two separate leased facilities near 15th Street and Camino del Mar. These facilities contain a total of 2000 square feet and have received a great deal of attention in recent years as interest in moving into more ample facilities has increased.

Library Facilities

The existing Del Mar Library, located in the shopping complex at the corner of Camino del Mar and 15th Street, is a branch of the County library system. In 1974, 15,000 volumes were stocked in the Del Mar facility, occupying nearly 2000 square feet of space.

Preliminary discussions have been conducted concerning use of an existing structure on the proposed civic center (old St. James School) site as the future library facility. The structure would provide 50% more space and could be acquired through a Joint Powers Agreement and the sale of revenue bonds.