DEL MAR — After a multiyear pause, Del Mar leaders are breathing new life into the planning effort for Shores Park by revisiting previous park plans and re-establishing an ad hoc committee to lead the process.
The city purchased the 5.3-acre Del Mar Shores property at 9th Street and Camino Del Mar, with plans to develop an open space and recreation area for joint use by the community and The Winston School, located on-site.
Del Mar will build upon the planning efforts completed between 2014 and 2019, which included extensive community input and the creation of three concept designs for the park. However, work on the project was stalled due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and later by litigation with The Winston School.
Disagreements over reconstruction plans for the campus led the city to terminate the school’s 55-year lease, prompting the school to sue the city in 2021. However, the two parties reached a settlement agreement in late 2023.
The Del Mar City Council agreed to reinitiate the Shores Park master planning process in June. On Sept. 8, staff asked the council to reaffirm the original guiding principles and preferred amenities for the project, re-establish the Shores Park Master Plan Ad-hoc Advisory Committee, and provide further input on next steps.
Assistant City Manager Clem Brown said the Shores Park Master Planning process consisted of three phases, in consultation with Schmidt Design Group: discover, imagine, and create. The city completed the first phase by taking an inventory of the site and gathering community input, and Phase 2 was partially completed with the creation of the three concept designs.
“Phase 3 — create — we never got to that. That part has yet to begin, but our goal on our work plan this year is to refine those concept designs into one preferred master plan,” Brown said.
The guiding principles for the project are as follows:
- Provide a beautiful and peaceful neighborhood park environment that serves the residents of Del Mar,
- Create an inclusive space that offers recreational opportunities for all ages,
- Thoughtfully integrate the needs and desires of residents visiting the park with or without pets,
- Capture the dramatic views of the Pacific Ocean,
- Provide a gardenesque park setting that is environmentally and economically sustainable,
- Integrate the activities, program, circulation, and recreational needs of The Winston School,
- Create a park that reflects the rich history, unique culture, and community character of Del Mar
Brown said future design alternatives for the project would be evaluated by how well they accomplish the goals outlined in the guiding principles. City Councilmember Tracy Martinez said she supported keeping the same list of principles.
“I’ve read them several times, I think they’re very thoughtful,” Martinez said. “I know all the work the community and the staff put into it.”
The council revisited a list of required and preferred amenities created before the park planning was paused. Required park amenities include 18 parking spaces, a full-sized multi-purpose sports court, and a youth sports field for baseball, softball, and other sports.
The Tier 1 preferred amenities identified by the public include gardens and landscaping, benches, trash and recycling receptacles, drinking fountains, bike racks, a grassy area for off-leash dog activities, an indoor meeting/recreational community space, restrooms, picnic areas, shade, and walking paths.
It must also be fully accessible for those with disabilities and accommodate children’s activities.
Other potential amenities include a children’s playground, a general-purpose room for community programming and activities, an outdoor fitness course, an amphitheater, an auditorium, a community garden, educational signage, and a bocce ball court.
The council said they would like to prioritize the Tier 1 amenities, with the request that the city also study the possibility of bringing the historic Alvarado House onto the property. Built in 1885, the house is currently located at the Del Mar Fairgrounds.
The inclusion of the Alvarado House was not part of the original Shores Park planning process, but in recent weeks, residents and the Del Mar Historical Society have requested that it be considered.
City leaders said they can explore this possibility, but that space on the site is already limited.
“The council and the public need to understand that if we were to include the Alvarado House in the master planning process, it would ultimately probably result in not being able to accommodate all the Tier 1 amenities due to space constraints,” Brown said.
Last month, the council decided to dissolve the original Shores Park advisory committee and establish a new subcommittee under the Parks and Recreation Department to continue the park planning process.
However, on Sept. 8, the council changed their tune and agreed to instate a new Shores Park Master Plan Ad-hoc Advisory Committee, which will pick up the work of the previous committee at the time it was paused. Recruiting for the committee is likely to be decided in October.
Mayor Terry Gaasterland and Councilmember John Spelich were also appointed as council liaisons for the committee.
Council members and residents also advocated for maintaining the current off-leash dog rules in the new park plan.
For many years, dogs have been permitted off-leash at the existing sports field on the property from 6:00 to 8:30 a.m., seven days a week, and from 3:30 p.m. to dusk on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.
Rather than a separate, smaller dog park area, some residents said they would support continued shared use of a sports field with specific hours when dogs are allowed off-leash.
“You can’t have a place that’s as big as this room,” said resident Dan Smiley, gesturing around the City Council chambers, “and have it be an effective place for all the dogs that go there, because it’s a well-used amenity and a lot of dogs use it, so they need space.”
Spelich said he would support this, noting that many residents enjoy the current status quo for dog use at the park.
“I hope we leave open the possibility that there’s a shared-use dog area with the sports field,” he said.
