Fair board discusses potential sites for affordable housing – San Diego Union-Tribune

The Del Mar Fairgrounds Board of Directors reviewed six potential sites Feb. 10 to develop affordable housing within the state-owned property, four in Del Mar and two in San Diego.

The fair board reviewed the six sites as part of a deal with the city of Del Mar to consider building 61 units of affordable housing to help the city meet its state-mandated goal of adding 175 total housing units across all income levels from 2021 to 2029.

The deal, known as the exclusive negotiating rights agreement, runs through April 2027. It outlines a series of steps for the fairgrounds and city to complete in advance of a potential 61-unit affordable housing project, but the fair board can ultimately decide against housing altogether.

Initial studies are being completed through the end of March with $1.5 million in grant funding.

The four sites within the city of Del Mar are the east main stable gate, south of stable gate, next to the fire station and at the Via de la Valle intersection. The two sites within the city of San Diego are the Surf and Turf RV Park and the dirt lot next to Surf and Turf.

Fair board members have repeatedly said they’re not sure if they want to build housing on the property. If they do, they have said their timeline to make a decision might run longer than the deadlines the city faces through 2029, which are part of the state’s sixth cycle Regional Housing Needs Allocation process. The city would be required to upzone properties on the north and south bluff as the backup plan if the city and fairgrounds can’t finalize a deal to build housing.

It’s also unclear if the city of Del Mar would have to pursue the backup plan if the fair board decided to build affordable housing, but only on one of the two sites located within the city of San Diego.

Fairgrounds CEO Carlene Moore said as far as the city of Del Mar’s housing goals, it “may not be satisfactory” to the California Department of Housing and Community Development if the potential affordable housing project is located within the city of San Diego.

“If this board is going to consider affordable housing, what we want would be for that to be in the best place possible and feasible with regard to our overall operation,” Moore said. “So let’s look at all our property, not just the city of Del Mar.”

Del Mar City Manager Ashley Jones and a spokesperson from the California Department of Housing and Community Development did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Josh Rubinstein, president of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, raised concerns with both city of San Diego sites in a letter to the board. He wrote that the Surf and Turf space is “vital to DMTC’s ability to operate a safe and successful summer race meet” due to the RV space provided for horse care personnel. He added that the dirt lot is “not ideal” for housing due to parking concerns, but would cause “significantly less disruption” than Surf and Turf.