Dwight's August Office Hours - Friday, Aug. 7 - 9:30-11:30 am 

Stop in to chat--no appointment required.  Location: Del Mar Community Building, 225 9th St., Del Mar. Can't make it, but have something to say? Email me at: dwight@dwightworden.com.

City Hall Plans 

We have now approved the schematic design for the new civic center, meaning we have progressed past the options phase and have focused on one schematic plan with  specific building sizes, layout, and design components. The approved schematic plan includes a City Hall for city staff and offices, a Town Hall for council and community meetings that will seat up to 250 (combining the Town Hall and breezeway) for Council meetings, workshops, performances and other community gatherings, a small catering kitchen, an emergency operations center, a plaza for the farmers' market and other activities, and parking for 160 cars (a majority underground, and some surface). The plan also reserves spaces for potential future uses. Want to see what the schematic plans look like? Check it out by clicking the image at right. (It will take a few moments for the file to open; it is Miller Hull's Powerpoint presentation from the July 20 Council meeting.) 

The architects are now working on design development, with a community workshop tentatively scheduled on September 28. Save the date! 

Let me know what you think! dwight@dwightworden.com.

Budget. Ahh, the pesky reality of paying for things! The top of the current budget for this project is approximately 16.4 million. So far, the architects say the schematic plan is within that budget but near the top. That doesn't include the estimate of $450,000 for relocation and temporary facilities to keep city hall running during the two and half years it is expected will be needed to complete the new project. Construction and other costs continue to escalate. We will watch the budget closely. Staff will be bringing the council a budget report on the project at our September council meeting, and a project manager is now on board to help make sure this project gets done on time and on budget. 

Community Character and Design Review: Citizens Rise Up--Again, but a Different Group.

Some folks in town are upset that council appointed 9 members to the new committee to review DRB and development issues without conducting personal interviews of the 28 citizens who applied for the 9 positions. Many of these same folks are expressing concern that the 9 appointed are not a "balanced" group reflecting all segments of the community. They have submitted letter/petitions signed by 110+ folks asking that we "fire" the committee and start over with interviews and new appointments.

The current committee is comprised of several prior DRB members, a prior Planning Commission member, a prominent local architect (and prior DRB member), a prior applicant, at least one lawyer, and several citizens with background in Del Mar activities and volunteerism.  . You can check out the membership and mission of the committee  here.

Don Mosier and I are council liaisons to the committee. We are working closely with the committee to make sure that all members of the community can participate fully in this important work, and in the two meetings to date, many members of the public have indeed participated in a strong and effective way. We are looking forward to workshop-style meetings that will further enable residents to participate in the committee's work. If there are ways to make things better, I am always interested to hear those, and to implement good ideas about the committee's process and work.

The issue of what to do, if anything, about the makeup of the committee will be on the council's agenda in September. If you have thoughts, I hope you will share them with me and the council. You can write me at: Dwight@dwightworden.com.

 

A Special Doofus Award Goes To: The Driver Who Burned Up His Car and Started Fires in Carmel Valley 

I'm advised by our law enforcement staff that a week or so ago a Doofus got a flat driving on Carmel Valley Road near CDM. Apparently under the influence, the driver kept going until the tire wore off the rim, and sparks started to fly. Unconcerned, the driver kept going, starting several fires along Carmel Valley Road that generated responses from Del Mar, Solana Beach, and San Diego firefighters and police.... and burned up the car as well. Congratulations on a Doofus award well earned!

Got Issues of Concern This Summer? 

Send me an email -- dwight@dwightworden.com -- and let me know. I'll see what I can do!