Court hearing delayed in Save the Field lawsuit

The Del Mar Union School District’s court date with Save the Field has been postponed until Dec. 22. The Nov. 18 hearing had been pushed to Dec. 3 by the court and was delayed again this week. The delay is due to the court being backed up from the COVID-19 shutdown, according to the Save the Field spokesperson.

Save the Field’s lawsuit alleges that the district’s California Environmental Quality Act process for the Del Mar Heights School rebuild was flawed and argues that the district must prepare a full Environmental Impact Report that analyzes its impacts and considers alternatives to reduce those impacts.

The attorney for the district has argued that the district’s process with a Mitigated Negative Declaration was adequate and that the school rebuild “does not create potentially adverse impacts on the environment but rather improves the existing environmental conditions.”

According to the district, the hearing is expected to result in a determination on the lawsuit. Demolition of the old school and construction has been delayed as the district continues to pursue a coastal development permit for the project with the city of San Diego.

The district has posted all of the legal documents related to the lawsuit at dmusd.org/Page/11051