Del Mar City Council approves further study and design for San Dieguito Drive improvements

The Del Mar City Council voted Sept. 5 to approve further study and design of a “minimal alternative” option for improvements along San Dieguito Drive, as well as a $155,000 task order with Michael Baker International to enter the next phase of work for the project.

“For decades,” according to a city staff report, “the City has provided information and discussed alternatives with the adjacent property owners of San Dieguito Drive and the surrounding area about how they could develop a road of sufficient quality and standards so that it could be considered for acceptance into the City’s streets and roadways system and added to the City’s regular street maintenance schedule.”

The cost estimate to construct the roadway, without sewer improvements, is $1.3 million. Funding is still to be determined. The funding for the task order was previously included in the city budget.

The project is also being coordinated with the separately planned citywide utility undergrounding project.

San Dieguito Drive is a private street within the city of Del Mar, located from the intersection of San Dieguito Drive and Racetrack View Drive to Oribia Road. It’s not owned or maintained by the city, according to the city staff report, but there is an easement that gives the city right-of-way for sewer, water, gas, and other road and utility services.

“We’ve held a series of two resident meetings, we got a lot of really good feedback, a lot of great questions,” Del Mar City Manager Ashley Jones said.

Del Mar Deputy Mayor Dan Quirk was the lone vote against the motion, which passed 4 to 1. Quirk said he wanted further evaluation of the $1.3 million estimate.