DEL MAR — Residents living along the private stretch of San Dieguito Drive and the adjacent Oribia Road will vote soon on whether to enter into a community facilities district with the city of Del Mar to fund repairs for the severely deteriorated roadway.
The Del Mar City Council agreed Monday to issue assessment ballots to 31 households along the two streets, a milestone reached after more than two years of conversations with residents about addressing the failing road.
The project, which requires at least 50% approval, will replace the deteriorating surface of San Dieguito Drive with a new 20-foot-wide road, 3.5-foot concrete rolled curbs, improved drainage, and installation of a retaining wall at the bottom of the hill near Racetrack View Road.
The city and the subject residents would share the $1.2 million cost of repairs in a 70-30 split, with the city taking on around $888,000.
“We’ve put a lot of work into this, and we are bringing this to you as what we would call a compromise between all parties,” said City Manager Ashley Jones.
Due to the project’s different benefits on the two streets, assessment fees will be weighted differently. Each property along San Dieguito Drive would be responsible for $16,924, and Oribia Road properties would be responsible for $8,462.
The assessment will also use a weighted voting system, with each San Dieguito Drive property allocated one vote and Oribia Road properties allocated half of a vote.
The stretch of San Dieguito Drive between Racetrack View Road and Oribia Road, near the San Dieguito Lagoon, is unique because it is considered a private road with an overlying public easement. It also provides the only ingress and egress point to Oribia, a public road.
For many years, residents along Oribia and San Dieguito Drive have asked the city to repair the pothole-ridden road surface and drainage infrastructure, while the city has argued that the burden is on residents to maintain the road.
However, the city has recently changed its tune and has been communicating with residents since 2022 to identify a collaborative solution in the form of a tax district.
“For years, the city said, ‘Hey, go bring your road up to standards, and we’ll take a look at it.’ The reality is that hasn’t been possible,” Jones said.
Utility lines will also be undergrounded in the city’s X1A undergrounding utilities project.
Residents can pay the assessment on their property tax bill over a 20-year period or the entire amount up front.
In a survey answered by 20 of the 31 properties earlier this year, 85% of respondents said they would favor the proposed facilities district.
“We can correct these things that happened in the past now and make a crumbling, neglected road into a beautiful, safe and maintained road. There are so many reasons to pursue this project — safety for our cars and bicycles, better fire response access, improved water runoff control, reconciliation to the dichotomy of a private road connecting public roads, beautification and consistency of our city roads, and a real plan for future maintenance of this road,” said Reid Westburg, who lives along San Dieguito Drive.
However, some homeowners still have concerns. Amy Cheshire, who also lives along San Dieguito Drive, said she and other residents did not fully understand how the cost-sharing and voting weight rates were determined. She also questioned why the city wouldn’t cover more of the cost.
“You said you’re comfortable with 70%. I think the residents in general are uncomfortable with the cost of the project, and it would be great if we could be comfortable with the cost of the project,” Cheshire said.
Proposition 218, which outlines regulations for community facilities districts, requires jurisdictions to pay at least 54% of the shared cost while ensuring that the contribution does not constitute a gift of public funds.
Councilmember Dwight Worden said he would favor lowering the city’s share to 60% since the 20-year payback period for residents is essentially an interest-free loan. Councilmember Terry Gaasterland said she was comfortable with the 70% rate and worried that going any lower would prevent residents from voting in favor.
“This has been a long, long road,” Gaasterland said. “It’s really the community coming together.”
The City Council approved the issuance of ballots in a 4-1 vote, with Councilmember Dan Quirk opposed. Residents and council members both applauded the outcome.
Quirk, who was censured for a second time by his fellow council members later in the meeting, repeated his previous concerns regarding the project’s pricing, arguing that he wanted a more detailed breakdown of the per-unit material cost.
The final decision will be rendered at the City Council’s June 17 meeting, when the city will tabulate ballot results and hold a public hearing regarding the tax district.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This story previously included incorrect per-property tax assessment amounts shared by the city in their April 15 City Council Agenda. The city later corrected these numbers, and they have also been updated in this story.
