The Sandpiper Candidate Questionnaire - Questions 8-14 (Oct. 2006)

By Crystal Crawford

The Sandpiper, a local Del Mar newpaper, asked Candidates for the Del Mar City Council to respond to fourteen questions. Here are the questions and responses published in October.

8. The "Shores" property has been identified by the Citizens of Del Mar as something that the City should seek to purchase. How do you think the City should proceed so that this desire can be met?

We are pursuing multiple options for acquiring the Shores property. I am on the Council's negotiating team, and I remain optimistic that we will reach agreement with the School District Board over the property. The support we have received from the Winston School and community fund-raisers has been very helpful to our negotiations.

9. Undergrounding of utility wires is becoming of more interest to residents in the City. What role do you see the City taking in the undergrounding process for both private neighborhoods and public rights of way?

We should continue leading the way for both public and private undergrounding of wires. The City now has a formal process for helping interested neighborhoods establish private undergrounding districts, and the first project in the Ocean View/Pines area is just about complete. We maximized the funds for public undergrounding projects, and the City has already completed one public project near Powerhouse Park and has two others underway.

10. Parking, both at the beach and in the downtown area, was identified as an issue for Del Mar's Citizens in the recent City survey. What are your thoughts on how the City can increase parking opportunities in these areas?

We should continue our recent successes and pursue other parking programs. The fifty-cent per hour parking program under L'Auberge during the off season introduced residents and visitors to underutilized spaces. The summer Valet Program is now self-sufficient and could be expanded. Many private spaces downtown are vacant on weekends and evenings and could be put to better use during busy periods. In the beach area, the King Parking Lot could be reconfigured to park additional vehicles.

11. Maintenance of the City's infrastructure (streets, sewers, parks, buildings, pumping stations, etc.) is an ongoing activity that costs a considerable amount of money. What are your thoughts on how the City can meet these ongoing needs in a responsible manner?

We must supplement our annual capital improvement budget with grants and other alternative funding while we revitalize the levels of sales and hotel taxes. I helped secure grant funding for the LED pedestrian crosswalks, the 25th Street Lifeguard Tower, and the 4th-9th Street sidewalk project. Our new long-range capital financing plan sets forth a comprehensive list of needs and establishes criteria to help us plan capital projects for the next 20 years.

12. One of the issues that was identified in the recent City Citizen's survey is the difficulty in navigating the City's planning process. How would you simplify the planning process if you were elected?

I will continue working on the efficiency, fairness, and clarity of our planning process including ways to speed up the process and reduce costs by improving coordination between the planning, engineering, and inspection departments. I strongly support our planning processes, however, because of the strong correlation between deliberate planning, increased property values, and the preservation of Del Mar's small-town quality of life.

13. Strict zoning in Del Mar has been viewed as both a benefit (by raising property values) and a cost (by limiting development freedom). What changes, if any, would you make to the City's zoning rules?

I don't believe a case has been made for major changes. Del Mar's Community Plan and zoning rules have stood the test of time with relatively few amendments. The result is a community that attracts newcomers, benefits from higher property values, and, according to the recent community survey, where residents report a 96% level of satisfaction with their quality of life.

14. Given the increasing pressures that the growth in the communities that surround Del Mar have placed on Del Mar's services and population, what is your experience/involvement in regional issues and how would you represent the City's interest in these areas?

I am very involved in regional affairs, and the relationships I have built over the years are valuable to Del Mar. My credibility with other city, county, state, and federal leaders means we can influence important decisions and secure needed resources. My regional service includes the following:
- Del Mar's representative to the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) - since January 1999
- Current Chair of the SANDAG Stakeholders Working Group for the Regional Transportation Plan update - since February 2006
- SANDAG representative to the California Biodiversity Council - since June 2005
- Immediate past-Chair of the SANDAG Borders Committee, which works to improve relations with Riverside, Orange, and Imperial Counties and Mexico - 2002 - 2005
- Alternate to the San Dieguito River Valley JPA - since January 1999