San Diego City Council will weigh in on Del Mar Heights rebuild in 2022

The Del Mar Heights rebuild project will now have to go before San Diego City Council as the law firm Procopio has filed an appeal to the San Diego Planning Commission’s approval, on behalf of Save the Field.

On Oct. 21, the San Diego Planning Commission unanimously approved the project’s coastal development permit, conditional use permit, planned development permit and site development permit. The commissioners supported the new design for the Heights that addresses traffic congestion and utilizes one-story buildings to lessen the impact on surrounding homeowners’ views.

The opposition has challenged the school district’s California Environmental Quality Act review and raised concerns about wildfire safety and the impacts of the rebuild on the neighboring Torrey Pines Reserve and loss of community recreation space.

The district’s hope had been for a hearing in December but the council is dark until the second week of January. The San Diego City Council hearing was recently
set for Tuesday, Jan. 11 at 2 p.m.

Prior to permitting delays and legal challenges from Save the Field, demolition of the Heights campus had been planned to occur in July 2020 with the new school opening in August 2021.