Dave Druker for City Council

Tracy Martinez, Dan Quirk and Dave Druker have won the Del Mar City Council election. Thank you for your support.

It is August 2020 and I am running for reelection for the Del Mar City Council. Please get involved in my campaign. I am endorsing Tracy Martinez

Thank you to all who attended the Del Mar City Council meeting of Monday, February 6. The council decided to delay the implementation of the changes to Camino del Mar and appoint Sherryl Parks and I to work with staff to determine what should be implemented and how it should be presented to TPAC, Torrey Pines Planning Group and the residents of Del Mar.

Dear Del Mar Resident:
Hope you had fun watching the Super Bowl. On Monday, February 6, the City Council will be deciding on the reconfiguration of Camino del Mar from Carmel Valley Road to 4th St.

The current proposal includes reducing CDM to one lane north between Carmel Valley Rd and 4th, removal of the “free” right turn lane between Carmel Valley Road and north CDM, a walking path on the west side of CDM between 4th St and the path at that extends from Stratford Ct and a path south of Anderson Canyon to Carmel Valley Road in the current park area (west of the parking area).

Currently, I am opposed to this project for the following reasons:
1) This is a major change to CDM and the public as a whole needs to weigh-in. There have been two meetings at TPAC, a concept meeting at the Council and February 6th is the second time the council will hear this proposal.
2) There is nothing in the current proposal that will limit left turns from CDM to 4th St.
3) The Torrey Pines planning group has seen the project and has not had time to comment on the project.
4) We do not really know the impact of narrowing CDM north bound for such a long stretch. When the Anderson Canyon slide occurred north bound CDM was one lane for only a few hundred feet.
5) We do not know the impact to traffic of removing the “free” right turn lane at Carmel Valley Road and CDM. We do know that it will be safer for bicyclists.
6) The walking path south of 4th Street will for all intents and purposes be rarely used as most people use Stratford Ct to get to the park south of Anderson Canyon.
7) If the traffic on north bound CDM becomes very congested, it will be expensive to return to two lanes.

I would encourage you to attend the meeting of the Del Mar City Council on Monday, February 6th. The agenda item is number 9. Because the agenda is light it will probably be heard around 7PM. Alternatively, you can write the council and ask that this item not be approved until it is vetted more by the public. If you are unable to attend, you can email Ashley Jones, Administrative Services Director/City Clerk [email protected]

Thank you.

While there are about 44,000 votes to be counted Countywide, there are probably less than 100 votes from Del Mar. Therefore, it is mathematically impossible for me not to be the elected to the City Council of Del Mar.

Thank you for all of your support.

Thank you for the support and congratulations. There are still 1000 mail-in ballots to be counted in Del Mar. I am cautiously optimistic that there will be no change in the current results.

Please vote today, I would appreciate your support for City Council

Thank you.

Letter from Tom Sohn about the "Old Guard"

Who and What is this “Old Guard”?
Tom Sohn-26th Street
Design Review Board 2008-2012 (Chair 2012)
Shores Park Advisory Committee 2014-Present (Vice-Chair)

There has been a lot of talk this election season about the “old guard” in Del Mar and how they have held back progress. In the same vein, this “old guard” is described as a small group of “anti-improvement” and “preserve the status quo” insiders.

This got me to thinking. Who are these people and what has this “old guard” done to hold us back? Let’s get to the bottom of this!

Perhaps this “old guard” are the ones who prevented Powerhouse Park from becoming a restaurant row in the early ‘80s. Some may not know that these “anti-improvement insiders” rallied the community against tremendous opposition to raise money and assist the city in buying the land that is now Powerhouse Park.

There is currently some irony in that certain candidate’s campaign websites feature Powerhouse Park as the beautiful community backdrop yet the rhetoric and proposals of these same candidates are the ones that would have turned Powerhouse Park, a Del Mar jewel, into a bunch of unneeded restaurants.

But let’s get back to this “old guard.” They could be referring to the “old guard” who oversaw the creation and decades of enforcement of the Design Review process and the DRB. If you wake up in the morning and enjoy a view of the ocean along with your morning coffee or enjoy a glass of wine from your backyard deck as the sun sets, you have the DRB to thank. Your DRB experience may have been a time consuming & possibly contentious process, but you have your enjoyable view protected.

Also, if you have recently appraised your home or have seen your neighbor sell theirs, you have the DRB and this mysterious “old guard” to thank for the 3x plus increase in property values over the last 20 years. These unnecessary regulations greatly escalated the value of your home.

Maybe the sinister “old guard” is the one that led the charge in preserving Crest Canyon. There was a time when Crest Canyon was to become a residential development. Whether you take a jog, walk your dog, or enjoy the plant life in Crest Canyon, say hi to the ominous “old guard” who must be in there somewhere.

Regarding our downtown, this “old guard” could perhaps be the ones that created the anti-improvement regulations that helped oversee the total remodel of L’Auberge hotel. Or the ones that also watched the old out-of-date hotel at the south end of town turn into Hotel Indigo Del Mar (a pretty cool place if you haven’t been there). Or the ones that permitted the heavy tenting of Pacifica Del Mar to allow our residents “outdoor” seating year round. Or oversaw the streetscape improvements near the beach and Jimmy Durante. Or helped build the new state-of-the-art lifeguard tower. Or the complete remodel of Poseidon or the courtyard improvements next to Starbucks or the creation of the Tasting Room or right-sized sidewalk cafes…sorry, listing all of these anti-improvement improvements is tiring. Thanks “old guard”.

Is Del Mar perfect? Definitely not. Do we intentionally move at a slower pace? Absolutely and that is a good thing, no, a GREAT thing. If you think an out-of-town developer is going to come into a lesser regulated town, build to a rational scale with community in mind, I invite you to check out some of the overbuilt ghost towns of Silicon Valley or even the viewless neighborhoods of Mission Beach. We don’t have that problem here in Del Mar. You know why? Must be that “old guard”.

I encourage the voters of Del Mar to join me in voting for David Druker, Sherryl Parks and Ellie Haviland so we can continue the thoughtful progress Del Mar has made over the years in our community.

Thanks for your consideration.

Tom

Quotes from some of my supporters, former Mayors, Del Mar committee members.

The front side of my last mailer

Do you have concerns about the future of Del Mar, California? Post them here!