Four candidates for two Del Mar City Council seats staked out different positions on housing at a Friday, Oct. 2 forum. Mail ballots go out the week of Monday, Oct. 5, ahead of the Nov. 3 election.
The League of Women Voters of North County San Diego hosted the 90-minute session at Del Mar Civic Center Town Hall. Incumbent Councilmember Terry Gaasterland, Planning Commissioners Jas Grewal and Meghan Spieker, and former Finance Committee member Jeff Sturgis fielded resident-submitted questions on the city's biggest land-use fights.
The clearest divide came over Seaside Ridge, a proposed 259-unit housing project on Del Mar's north bluff. The council recently voted to begin an environmental study on upzoning the property. That step followed an August 2026 decision by the Del Mar Fairgrounds board to walk away from negotiations with the city on a separate 61-unit affordable housing project on fairgrounds land.
In 2021, the city told the state Department of Housing and Community Development that upzoning the north bluff would be its backup plan for meeting housing obligations. Property owner Carol Lazier has filed a Superior Court petition arguing the project qualifies for streamlined approvals under the state's Builder's Remedy law.
Sturgis wants a different path. He said at the forum he would rather negotiate with Lazier to bring back a resort on the site, calling it "the best solution for that property," as first reported by the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Spieker said the city is "no longer in control of the situation" and urged proactive engagement to shape a project consistent with the community plan. Grewal said the city's leverage lies in rebuilding its relationship with the Fairgrounds board. Gaasterland said the city is working to understand environmental impacts and what is feasible.
10th Street lot
The candidates also split on how many units to build on a city-owned lot on 10th Street, where four to eight units have been discussed.
Sturgis wants zero. He argued the city should not act as a housing developer. Gaasterland called anything more than four units "absurd" for the residential neighborhood. Grewal said the number could reach eight depending on the status of Fairgrounds housing, though four would be ideal. Spieker acknowledged the city's limited options to meet state mandates but stressed that design should preserve neighborhood character.
RHNA and rail
All four candidates agreed the city needs to work with the San Diego Association of Governments on a Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) that residents can support. Del Mar was assigned 163 new housing units in the current cycle, a figure driven by a methodology that counted temporary Fairgrounds jobs near transit. A 3-2 council majority supported the number at the time, though the figure drew opposition.
On the LOSSAN (Los Angeles–San Diego–San Luis Obispo) rail corridor realignment, the candidates were unanimous: no tunnel under the city and no eminent domain to build a new route.
Voting details
One of the two seats has been vacant since September 2024, when Dwight Worden resigned due to health concerns. Gaasterland is seeking a third term.
Mail ballots go out the week of Monday, Oct. 5. Early voting at the San Diego County Registrar of Voters opens Tuesday, Oct. 6. Ballot drop-off locations at the Del Mar Civic Center and Del Mar Branch Library open Thursday, Oct. 8. The voter registration deadline is Monday, Oct. 19. The city's election page lists the full schedule and a Vimeo recording of the forum.
