A 259-unit apartment project proposed for the north end of the Del Mar bluffs could largely solve the tiny city’s deficit in affordable housing, but local opposition is likely.
The project comes as wealthy California cities are being required to add new housing to address the statewide crisis. Last month, the state sued Huntington Beach over the lack of a plan for new housing.
Seaside Ridge in Del Mar would be built on a vacant 6.9-acre parcel on the bluff that was once targeted for a luxury resort hotel, a project ultimately rejected by voters.
The land, owned by San Diego philanthropist Carol Lazier, is currently zoned for a large single-family home and fenced off.
The Seaside Ridge development plan calls for 71 studios, 131 one-bedroom units, 38 two-bedroom units and 19 three-bedroom units ranging in size from 489 to 1,176 square feet. A total of 42 units would be for low-income renters.
Developers say the Seaside Ridge project would provide 78% of Del Mar’s required 54 low- income units and therefore the project should be allowed to proceed “by right” under state law.
Del Mar’s response is that the plan “is not consistent with the current zoning and density
allowances for the property located at 929 Border Avenue.”
The City Council adopted a new housing plan earlier this month that includes more than 50 affordable units near the fairgrounds, but the California Department of Housing and Community Development has not yet approved the plan.
Sea Ridge said its apartments will be “sensitively designed to Del Mar” and include public paths to the bluff with a “50-foot-wide area along the entire bluff frontage for the public to enjoy.”