Governor Newsom and the California Legislature have taken decisive action to combat the State’s severe housing shortage, including passage of new legislation most notably in 2021 and 2022. Unfortunately, the city has done nothing but obstruct this proposal at every turn in violation of state law. After years of thwarted efforts, the Seaside Ridge property owner made the difficult decision to sue the city of Del Mar in February 2024.  Click here to learn about the series events leading to the current proposal.

The city of Del Mar is reliant on being able to put housing at the San Diego Fairgrounds in order to stay in the state's good graces. The catch is that it's unclear where that housing would go and whether a binding agreement is even possible. Click here to read more.

No - While we support the City’s effort to create housing at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, the City’s housing deficit cannot be accommodated solely on the Fairgrounds. The City is not in the place to be turning away affordable housing. Read more.

The City is relying upon the land associated with Seaside Ridge project to achieve its housing obligations in the State’s 6th housing cycle (2021-2029). The property was identified as a “candidate housing site” that was studied and approved by the City as a sufficient location for higher density residential development. Because the City would be relying upon the property to meet a portion of its 6th cycle housing obligations, State law requires that any housing development project proposed on a candidate site be processed ministerially or “by-right.” This means that the City’s typical process of discretionary review and conditional use permitting, whether via the Design Review Board, Planning Commission or City Council, may not occur. Instead, a housing development project is reviewed against objective requirements and decisions are made administratively at the staff level. Due to the current status of the City’s 6th Cycle Housing Element, the City is obligated under Assembly Bill 1398 (AB 1398) to process a housing development project on a candidate housing site administratively. Del Mar’s deadline to have its Housing Element certified by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) was April 15, 2021. They failed to meet this deadline, allowing Seaside Ridge to move forward.

Development is an iterative process and we welcomed the opportunity to work with the City to advance this project, which will not only help the City comply with state housing laws, but also provide community benefits. However, years of thwarted efforts, the property owner decided to sue the city of Del Mar for failing to abide by state law. A hearing is scheduled for June 13, 2025.

The Seaside Ridge project alone provides 78% of the City’s need for 54 lower income units per 6th Cycle Housing Element Program 1E and well over 100% of the City’s need for moderate income units. The project includes 42 lower-income units and 43 moderate-income units. The 42 lower income units consist of two extremely low, two very low, and 38 low-income units. These units will be distributed around the project and will provide much needed housing for Del Mar in all income ranges.

Seaside Ridge is an example of how to effectively balance State housing law with the Coastal Act at the project level.

The City’s adopted 6th Cycle Housing Element identifies the Seaside Ridge property as a candidate housing site to help the City meet its affordable housing requirements. Under State law, a Housing Elements is part of a city or county’s General Plan. In Del Mar, the General Plan is referred to as a Community Plan and includes a Housing Element. Pursuant to AB 1398 and clarifying legislation passed in 2022 via Senate Bill 197 (SB 199), Del Mar is required to rezone the Seaside Ridge property into its Housing Element Implementation Overlay Zone (HEI-OZ). The HEI-OZ is part of the City’s Municipal Code and Local Coastal Program. On August 25, 2022, the City received a letter from HCD’s Housing Accountability Unit that affirms the City has not adopted a compliant 6th Cycle Housing Element. As a result, the letter clarifies that “under the Housing Accountability Act (Gov. Code § 65589.5, subd. (d)), jurisdictions without a substantially compliant housing element cannot rely on inconsistency with zoning and general plan standards as a basis for denial of a housing project for very low-, low-, or moderate-income households.” A copy of the letter is available here.

Yes, the project is required to comply with the HEI-OZ. As such, Seaside Ridge was designed to fully comply with the Overlay Zone’s objective design standards including setbacks, building design, auxiliary equipment such as air conditioners, lighting, and landscaping. Seaside Ridge proposes an average unit size of 819 square feet (sf), which is well below the City’s maximum size of 1,000 sf per the HEI-OZ.

No - Recognizing that the public has never had the opportunity to enjoy this section of North Bluff, Seaside Ridge was designed with public access in mind.

The project features new public amenities, including a walking path and a scenic park. Overlooking the Pacific Ocean, Seaside Ridge Park will provide a place of reflection and passive recreation not only for residents of Seaside Ridge, but for everyone. Included in the Project are two 30-35-foot wide vertical accessways out to the bluff and a 50-foot-wide area along the entire bluff frontage for the public to enjoy. In addition, 25 onsite public parking spaces are provided. With these features, Seaside Ridge creates more access to Del Mar’s coast than any other privately funded project in the City’s history.

As part of our application, a comprehensive geological/geotechnical analysis of the North Beach bluff was conducted. Although the North Beach bluff may appear similar to the South Beach bluff, it is geotechnically much stronger. Studies found that the base of the bluff is strong and globally stable and that the nearby sea caves would have no negative impact. The project incorporates design features that are sensitive to the North bluff’s specific soil composition. These include increased building setbacks away from the edge of the bluff to accommodate for potential coastal hazards and ensure sufficient public access, improved onsite drainage, and no reliance on seawalls.

No, that is the South Beach bluff. The natural bluffs at North Beach (where the proposed Seaside Ridge project is planned) and South Beach (where the train tracks are located, generally between 15th Street and the southern boundary of Del Mar) are quite different. The South Beach bluff has a history of slope instability that has affected the rail easement. This instability is largely due to weak mudstones at the base of the bluff, which are prone to erosion and retreat because of their soft composition. Above the mudstone layer, there are terrace deposits that are also soft and can cause landslides once the underlying mudstone erodes. The North bluff has none of these conditions.