Del Mar City Council approves Shores Park master planning committee appointments

The Del Mar City Council made a series of appointments Nov. 3 for the advisory committee that will help guide the Shores Park master planning process.

The Del Mar City Council appointed Del Mar residents Saniya Bloomer, Alessandra Franco, Will Holliday, Joe Sullivan, Larry Brooks and Judd Halenza as voting members of the Shores Park Master Plan Ad-Hoc Advisory Committee. Lynn Gaylord was appointed as a resident voting member from the Parks and Recreation Committee, Kim Kanetis as an ex-officio non-voting member from The Winston School, and Thomas Neuman as an ex-officio non-voting member representing the Del Mar community building.

The Shores Park master planning has picked up again after being put on hold in 2019. About two months ago, the city council adopted a set of “guiding principles” and appointed Mayor Terry Gaasterland and Councilmember John Spelich to serve as liaisons for the advisory committee.

According to a council agenda report, the city increased the size of the committee from seven to nine members because of a high level of interest from local residents who wanted to serve.

“Due to significant community interest and number of applications received, the Council liaisons to the Committee recommend expanding the membership size from seven to nine members, which would increase the number of voting members from five to seven,” according to the report. “The number of ex-officio members would not change and would remain at two.”

One of the goals set by the council was to build off the work that was previously done.

In October, the council approved a contract with Schmidt Design Group, which will take three options and pick one to move forward with. Some of the considerations include a dog park and a permanent home for the Alvarado House, which dates back to the 1880s.

“That’s going to be for the committee to react and respond to,” Del Mar City Manager Ashley Jones said.