Plans are underway for the brand new Surf Del Mar sports activities complicated on By way of de la Valle.
An utility was filed late final 12 months with the town of San Diego for a two-story, 48,066-square-foot multipurpose sports activities constructing together with accompanying sports activities fields and a brand new parking zone on the 23.88-acre web site adjoining to the Surf Sports activities Park. .
Surf Sports activities acquired the long-vacant property in 2022. For a few years it was proposed to be a seniors group — earlier plans for the location have been for 4 single-story buildings clustered along with 140 items for impartial and assisted residing and reminiscence care . A earlier mission beneath one other developer known as for 225 cassias unfold throughout the lot and a wellness heart throughout the road.
A discover of utility for the Surf Del Mar Sports activities Complicated launched to the general public in November stated the choice to approve or reject the mission can be made at a public listening to. Whereas it’s not required to go earlier than a group planning panel, planning panel concerns are advisable, that means the mission want to be heard by the Carmel Valley Group Planning Board as Surf goes by way of the method to acquire a allow. conditional use and a web site improvement allow.
The Surf at present function the Surf Sports activities Park on adjoining city-owned property leased to them in 2016. The park is residence to the Surf Soccer Membership, youth soccer and lacrosse groups. The San Diego Wave skilled ladies's soccer crew additionally practices at Surf Sports activities Park.
The brand new improvement, like earlier improvement proposals, might be affected by the El Camino Actual widening mission.
El Camino Actual might be widened from two to 4 lanes and realigned to the east with a brand new bridge changing the outdated one over the San Dieguito River. The brand new intersection of El Camino Actual and By way of de la Valle will transfer to align with De La Valle Place with a brand new sign – there may even be two new site visitors alerts on the entrances to Del Mar Horse Park and Surf Sports activities Park.
The mission has been delayed by an intensive environmental overview, which is predicted to be accomplished quickly, with development set to start in February 2025. As soon as work begins, the three-year development is anticipated to be accomplished in February 2028.
“When the highway widening occurs, the town property will lose about two heaps and a ton of parking,” stated Brian Enge, COO of Pioneer Sports activities and Leisure, the Surf's mum or dad group. “We noticed this as a chance so as to add two pitches again to the brand new piece of land and add a gymnasium that offers much more children an opportunity to play sports activities.”
Enge stated that along with the dearth of courtroom house in San Diego, there’s additionally an absence of gymnasium house to play volleyball and basketball: “Anybody who performs volleyball or basketball actually spends their weekends in Orange County each weekend. We consider within the San Diego group and we don't need individuals to have to go away the San Diego group to do these items.”
The present plan is for 2 new courts plus a two-story gymnasium constructing that can home the indoor sports activities courts and probably a weight room or coaching room for “100 % youth sports activities.”
Whereas the Wave at present prepare at Surf Sports activities Park, Enge stated there isn’t any contract or settlement with them to be a part of the brand new complicated. “We assist the Wave in all the pieces they do,” stated Enge, whose daughter Sierra is a midfielder on the crew. “They need to discover as everlasting a coaching residence as doable and if we can assist them, we are going to.”
For years, neighbors have complained about what they consider is overuse of the city-owned property, citing the unique grant deed that requires “passive, noncommercial leisure makes use of” that don't contain massive gatherings of individuals or automobiles and tries to restrict occasions solely 25 days per calendar 12 months.
Along with tournaments just like the Surf Cup, the park can be rented out for non-sporting occasions, together with the Primarily Mozart music pageant and final 12 months's inaugural Del Mar Wine and Meals Pageant, the second of which can happen in October. Subsequent Memorial Day weekend, the park will host the brand new Membership America Cup in partnership with Mexico's skilled crew, that includes groups from Brazil, Argentina, Costa Rica, Mexico, the USA and Canada.
The neighboring Fairbanks Polo Membership HOA is at present suing the Metropolis of San Diego for violating the deed of grant on the property. The purpose of the method is to protect the affected land as open house “in as near a pure state as doable” and to permit occasions solely 25 days a 12 months.
With the continuing litigation, the HOA was restricted in what it might say concerning the proposed new sports activities complicated.
“Regardless of security, zoning, site visitors and environmental concerns, the Surf Sports activities Complicated mission illustrates the potential expanded makes use of of the land,” Scott Kameron, president of the Fairbanks Polo Membership HOA, stated in an announcement. “Such makes use of are inconsistent with the deed limitations, which prohibit massive gatherings of individuals, automobiles and any business exercise on the property.”
The neighboring Whispering Palms Group Council has already come out in opposition to the sports activities complicated. In December, the council wrote a letter to native representatives on behalf of “575 households who stay alongside or close to By way of de La Valle and inside simple attain of the noise air pollution – honking, whistling and screaming – (which begins early in most weekends and continues till darkish), clouds of mud and countless site visitors congestion on account of the over-exploitation of the previous polo grounds.”
The letter opposing the brand new complicated additionally said the council's assist for the Fairbanks Polo Membership lawsuit.