Del Mar Commission To Review Draft Housing Element Update Sept. 15

Press release from the City of Del Mar:

September 10, 2020

The Planning Commission on Sept. 15 is scheduled to review the Sixth Cycle Housing Element Update, an extensive document designed to meet State mandates through a series of programs and strategies to accommodate 175 new housing units through 2029.

At least 113 of those units must be set aside as affordable housing. The 485-page Update proposes various methods for accommodating affordable housing in residential neighborhoods, commercial zones, on City-owned property and at the Del Mar Fairgrounds.

The Housing Element is a component of the Del Mar Community Plan.

State housing authorities require jurisdictions to update their housing elements every eight years. Del Mar’s update process has spanned more than one year and has included multiple hearings, a community workshop and survey, task force meetings and reports, and consistent community outreach.

At its Sept. 15 meeting, the Planning Commission is scheduled to provide recommendations for the City Council’s consideration Oct. 5 and 19. The update must receive State certification by April 2021.

Future actions proposed to meet the City’s affordable housing obligations include:

• Amending zoning to allow for up to 20 dwelling units per acre, as required by State law, in the Central Commercial zone (Camino del Mar between 9th and 15th streets); Professional Commercial zone (Camino del Mar just south of 9th Street), and North Commercial Zone (Jimmy Durante Boulevard and San Dieguito Drive). The requirement does not translate as 20 units per lot, but would more likely take shape in clusters of four to six units on lots that could fit them within height and floor-area limits. The amended zoning could yield a total of 26 affordable units. A separate but related effort (“NC/PC”), as required by the City’s current Housing Element, would amend North Commercial and Professional Commercial zoning. These proposals are scheduled for City Council action Sept. 8. On Aug. 11, the Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend City Council approval.
• Incentivizing owners of accessory dwelling units, or “granny flats,” to rent them to lower income households to capture at least 77 moderate units and 8 affordable units;
• Consider opening City-owned property on 9th, 10th, 28th and Court Streets for up to 28 small, affordable units; and
• Partnering with 22nd District Agricultural Association to build affordable housing on State-owned property or, if an agreement cannot be reached, to default to a required State program to rezone vacant land on the North Bluff and/or South Stratford to allow for at least 51 affordable units.

The actions do not propose specific development projects.

In the case of affordable housing proposed at City-owned locations, however, Del Mar would be committed to delivering the number of units submitted in the Housing Element Update. If, by 2029, the units come up short or not built at all, the City would be required to identify alternate sites or face penalties from the State.

Any future development proposal would be subject to permitting and approvals.

Failure to provide zoning allowances to meet State mandates can expose the City to severe financial penalties and even the loss of local zoning control.

Open Draft 6th Cycle Housing Element Update

Open a Planning Department summary of proposed approaches for affordable housing units (PDF)

Open the Sixth Cycle Housing Element Update webpage

This press release was produced by the City of Del Mar . The views expressed here are the author’s own.