But Sabellico supports state intervention.
According to its Jan.13 letter to the city of Del Mar, the California Department of Housing and Community Development is requiring Del Mar to comply with AB 1398, which requires cities without a compliant housing element to rezone identified housing sites before they can be deemed in compliance. The city of Del Mar has not completed all of its required rezoning.
Seaside Ridge provides significant housing benefits to Del Mar: It delivers real opportunities for new families of varying income ranges to call Del Mar home, it helps the city obtain a legally required certified housing element, it secures important grant funding for housing program implementation, and it provides the time needed to continue exploring the idea of placing housing on the fairgrounds property.
The city of Escondido initiated its Housing Element update in 2020 right as the state of California was declaring a state of emergency for the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite this, the city launched a comprehensive public participation program, including both for the Housing Element and two concurrent and related plans and studies — the East Valley Specific Plan and an economic study evaluating the feasibility of different residential product types and densities in the city.
Del Mar, Solana Beach, and Encinitas are prime candidates for more affordable housing. They are high opportunity areas where restrictive land use practices have excluded people of color and low-income people from accessing many of the amenities of these communities.