Background - (Original Page Nos. 53—56)
Land in Del Mar, as in communities all over America, is a resource of great and increasing value. Relentless demands for housing, commercial enterprise, civic improvement, open space, and transportation are putting unprecedented pressures on local governments to better manage land use. A number of contrasting interests enter into this debate. They include: home residents who feel that the character of their neighborhoods is threatened by over-scale housing and commercial development; homeowners for whom the costs of maintaining or upgrading their present properties are becoming prohibitive; developers who find their return on investment threatened by unanticipated new regulations; and the public at large who see rising rents, property prices and taxes, and vacant land vanishing.
This Plan was developed and considered in an atmosphere of widespread concern over the extraordinarily rapid land development now occurring along the Southern California coastline. Revisions were undertaken in response to the 1976 California Coastal Act in an effort to insure that the Plan would be in conformance with the intent and policies of the Coastal Act. As within other coastal communities, there are both differing views as well as areas of agreement over what constitutes appropriate land use for the community. These differences and agreements, as well as the interests noted above, have all been represented and aired at meetings of the Planning Commission, the City Council, and at public workshops both in regard to specific land development projects and proposed new ordinances regulating land use.
The citizens of Del Mar who were involved in developing the Plan took into account the foregoing interests and areas of difference and agreement, and were aware that environmental resources are fragile, limited, and endangered by man's propensity to despoil them more rapidly than they can be renewed or sustained. It is clear that individual actions, if taken without regard to such dangers, and without consideration for overall and long-range community interests, may seriously abuse the living qualities of our environment, destroy unique beauty, and promote unreasonable congestion, pollution, and noise, to the detriment of present and future generations.
Central to this Community Plan is the principle that the interests of the community at large should be steadfastly protected within the framework of the essential rights of individual residents, property owners, and those doing business in the community. In implementing the Plan, various kinds of conflicts are likely to arise, such as those between private and public interests, between diverse private interests, and between the needs of those who primarily regard their property as a place for living and working, and those who regard it as a commodity by which to profit. It is intended that such conflicts be resolved on the basis of the comprehensive and long-term concerns referred to in the preceding paragraphs; and under no circumstances should decisions be specifically directed to benefit any individuals of the community without regard to the interests of the other members of the community.
A broad-based concern for proper land use is especially important for Del Mar because of the community's regional significance as part of the coastal land of California. It should not be forgotten that the village qualities of sea-side communities like Del Mar are appreciated by people of all California and even of nearby states.
Historically, although Del Mar has developed as a community of predominantly single-family homes, the citizens of Del Mar have permitted a considerable proportion of multiple housing units to be built within their village. While desiring to maintain this traditional tolerance for varied housing opportunities, the community should not allow its living qualities to be threatened by a trend toward excessively crowded housing. To check this trend by regulation requires that the city determine a proper housing distribution for the future and establish mechanisms for achieving this.
It is clear that attempts to protect and restore community values by regulating land use are justified on legal and historic grounds. These grounds include, among others, protection of the natural environment, the legal rights of property ownership, historic community uses, common law, prescriptive public rights, and the public health and safety. Thus, residents and property owners in Del Mar should be obliged to adapt to patterns of land use which accord with comprehensive community interests, both short range and long range.
Community interest ought to prevail in matters of housing density, protection of aesthetic and environmental qualities, access to community amenities, and the availability of housing for diverse social and economic groups.
By seeking and meeting the goals and responsibilities of the community as a whole, and by being sensitive to individual rights, the greatest number of individuals can be assured the highest quality of life possible.
VALLEY DISTRICT
The Valley District is the site of the Del Mar Racetrack and Fairgrounds, as well as the San Dieguito River, and contains the only industrial activities in the City. Nearly all of this planning district is located in the San Dieguito River Flood Plain. The Valley District also includes those lands now located within the City of San Diego, but proposed for eventual annexation to the City of San Diego but proposed for eventual annexation to the City of Del Mar. That area consists primarily of the Floodway and Lagoon restoration lands, in addition to the Fairgrounds property, limited commercial use at the Via de la Valle - 15 Interchange, and a residential subdivision at the southern end of the Valley District.
NORTH BLUFF DISTRICT
This area includes approximately nine acres of land at the southern termination of the Solana Beach coastal bluff north of the San Dieguito River mouth. It includes a four acre city-owned natural preserve, two residential estates, and a vacant parcel of land planned for modified low density residential land use. East of the railway, the land is currently characterized by a mix of vacant lots, residences and an office building.
NORTH HILLS DISTRICT
Most of the existing low density residential development of Del Mar lies within this district. Winding streets, steep sites, relatively large lots, and informal, small and moderate-sized single family homes typify this area. In the western portion of this district, just east of Camino del Mar, the land is more even; however, it has been partially developed into medium density residential uses. Toward the east, but still within the planning area, the land breaks away in a steep escarpment facing Crest Canyon and the San Dieguito Valley. Here the naturally eroded sandstone cliffs and canyons support abundant native vegetation in an unusually picturesque landscape which together with Crest Canyon, serves as a buffer from adjacent San Diego City lands. The escarpment also provides park land and outstanding vistas from Crest Canyon and Interstate 5.
SOUTH HILLS DISTRICT
This planning area consists of low density single family development.
SOUTH BLUFF DISTRICT
This district consists principally of a rugged topography of canyons and bluffs and contains a major part of the undeveloped land remaining in Del Mar outside of the San Dieguito flood plain.
That portion of the area west of Camino del Mar and north of the Del Mar Canyon is characterized by gentle slopes falling toward the ocean, medium dense groves of Eucalyptus trees and a high erodability potential, particularly near the western edges of the property. That portion of the Del Mar Canyon and south headland area which slopes to the south and faces the Torrey Pines State Park has been designated by the Comprehensive Planning Organization San Diego Association of Governments as having unique or outstanding vistas and has been protected as an Open Space Preserve through acquisition by the City. The portion of the District located east of Camino del Mar contains two scenic canyons, protected by an Open Space Easement, and lands south of Carmel Valley Road and which are part of the Torrey Pines State Preserve and/or are planned by the State for annexation to the Preserve and State Park.
SOUTH BEACH DISTRICT
This area is bounded by 15 th Street on the north, the Village Center District and Camino del Mar on the east, the edge of apartments and condominium development (approximately 600 feet south of 4 th Street) on the south and beach bluffs on the west is composed of a mixture of single family, duplex and high density multiple family residential development.
As in the north beach area, a large percentage of rental housing is available in this area, and attempts have been made in recent years to convert existing apartment structures to condominium ownership and to redevelop lower density structures to higher density and more expensive housing.
That portion of the area south of 4 th Street is characterized by high density. apartment and condominium development that has nearly completely block ocean views from Stratford Court.
NORTH BEACH DISTRICT
This planning area comprises approximately one mile of beach frontage including the mouth of the San Dieguito River and extends inland to the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad right-of-way and is one of the oldest and highest density residential areas in the City. Present development is mixed with single family residences predominating near the ocean, and mixed single family and multiple units farther east. Land development is marked by a gridiron pattern, rather narrow streets (except Camino del Mar and Coast Boulevard), and small lots. This area of Del Mar is most influenced by its proximity to the beach. At times in the summer, streets in the area are inundated with out of town automobiles seeking places to park near the beach. Camino del Mar, which bisects this area in a north-south direction, creates a major hazard for pedestrian beach access safety.
A comparatively large percentage of transient housing is available within this planning area. During the year much of this transient housing changes from occupancy by students and moderate income families in off-season months to wealthy tourists (often affiliated with the racetrack) or the property owners themselves during the summer.
VILLAGE CENTER DISTRICT (DOWNTOWN)
The Village Center District is the heart of the Del Mar community, containing approximately 185,000 square feet of commercial space. Unlike modern shopping centers in California, it has a human richness derived from families, friends, and neighbors who live nearby, many within walking distance. The area presently contains a diversity of land uses and physical quality. Retail activities within the district is physically segregated into three separate areas: the original center of commercial activity, located on the southwest corner of Camino del Mar and 15 th Street; the Del Mar Plaza Shopping Center at the northeast corner of Camino del Mar and 15 th Street; and scattered new specialty shops located between 10 th and 13 th Streets along Camino del Mar.
In addition to retail activities, office development is a dominant use in the Village Center District. In recent years the growth rate of office development has substantially exceeded that of retail floor space. The economic vitality of the retail activities in the Village Center varies substantially within each year, with sales during the summer quarter generally equaling the amount collected during the other three quarters of the year.
The amount of commercial floor space needed by a community can be estimated in different ways depending upon the individual community. An overriding consideration in determining floor area needs for Del Mar is a basically residential community of a size that cannot possibly supply a full range of stores to satisfy all the wants of its residents. Equally relevant is that nearby North County communities with more available land and larger populations are developing regional shopping centers which offer a full spectrum of goods and services. There is also the complicating question of how commercial space should be apportioned between retail and office use. In the ultimate analysis, all statistical rules of thumb for determining spaces needs, such as a per capita retail sales, floor space, or income per capita must be tempered by the perspective offered above.
An indicator that Del Mar's businesses may not be serving the resident population is based upon the Chamber of Commerce resident survey in 1973, which indicated that 61% of the local residents required additional goods and services to be provided within the community. Since that time, retail establishments, including a local hardware store, have converted to office use. If Del Mar is to reverse this trend, it will have to successfully compete with other areas. To do this, the retail areas of the City will have to be made a pleasant and convenient shopping experience.
Surveys have further indicated that the lack of parking within the Village Center is felt to be a problem with Del Mar residents. The problem is usually identified with Camino del Mar from 13 th Street to 15 th Street, and 15 th Street from Stratford Court to the Plaza Shopping Center. This problem area is essentially fully developed, necessitating creative approaches to developing solutions.
The charm of the Del Mar community is, to a large degree, dependent upon the creation and preservation of a lively pedestrian environment, with attractive and stable retail shops and convenient parking and transportation systems to serve those shops. The conversion of a pedestrian-oriented retail area to "non-pedestrian" offices is largely due to a lack of patronage, as well as parking and circulation inconveniences, and lack of critical mass of retail uses. It is important to the City, in terms of both retail sales income and community character, to promote and preserve the retail base of the community.