Fair’s Land Purchase Plans Could Jeopardize Greenbelt

The Del Mar Fair Board announced plans Tuesday for a $1.76-million real estate transaction that secures the fairground’s borders and could eventually add 109 acres to the 22nd District Agricultural Assn.’s coastal holdings.

However, the land purchase also could jeopardize the ambitious hopes of regional officials and environmentalists for creating San Dieguito River Valley Park, a nearly countywide greenbelt. Nearly 97 acres of land targeted in the transaction falls within the proposed park’s boundaries.

During their board meeting Tuesday, fair directors approved a plan to immediately purchase 12 acres, at the southeast corner of the fairgrounds, for $425,000 from Del Mar 88, the business partnership headed by Los Angeles real estate developer Sam Langberg. Del Mar 88 owns the 109 acres south of the fairgrounds and west of Interstate 5.

According to Jan Anton, chairman of the fair board’s real estate committee and vice president of the Fair Board, the remaining 97 acres will be leased from Del Mar 88 for three years at a rate of $1 a year.

The board will also pay Del Mar 88 $1.325 million for the option to buy the 97 acres at the end of the three-year lease. It would pay another $10,000 to exercise the option to purchase the property.

But Anton said the board initiated the land purchase primarily to acquire the 12-acre lot. Without ownership of the small plot, sandwiched between fair board-owned parking lots, the fairground remains vulnerable to development that would interfere with board operations.

Through the “good will” of Del Mar 88, the board has been using 5 of the 12 acres for seasonal parking, Anton said. The remaining 7 acres are unusable for parking and will be set aside as open space.

“We wanted to make sure that we would have control of parking and the movement of cars forever,” said Roger Vitaich, general manager of the board. “Without it, we’re at the mercy of Del Mar 88.”

But environmentalists and regional officials who have been eagerly pursuing plans to create San Dieguito River Valley Park--a 43-mile coast-to-mountains greenbelt that would span North County--are more concerned with the fair board’s plans for the other 97 acres.

Anton said the board has no definitive plans for the land and added that board ownership is hardly guaranteed.

Indeed, Del Mar 88 can buy back the option on the property anytime during the three-year lease, Anton said. If Del Mar 88 decides to reclaim the land, it must pay the fair board $1.325 million plus 10% interest.

But the board’s actions Tuesday, regardless of whether it purchases the property, hamper regional planners’ attempts to establish the park.

“That’s very critical land that’s right at the mouth of the river,” said Supervisor Susan Golding, a greenbelt advocate who also served on the park planning task force.

“I think it could have a very detrimental effect” on planning of the park, Golding said. “Basically, this puts our plans on hold for three years. Now we don’t know what’s going to happen.”

Whether the fair board purchases the property or not, its move effectively blocks the city of San Diego or the county from buying it for the park.

“My other concern is, during that time, the price of the property will go up, making it more difficult for a public agency to purchase it,” Golding said.

During the early park planning stages, Anton said, the fair board was not asked to participate in planning sessions. But he acknowledged that, if the board does purchase the 97 acres, it will by necessity play a vital role in the park’s design.

“I think they’re going to have to talk to us,” he said. “We’re eager to work with everybody.”

Golding said the fair board approached her about sitting on the park’s task force, but she said she declined.

“I explained to them that property owners don’t sit on the task force and that we would like to, and that it would be more appropriate to have them serve on the citizens advisory committee,” Golding said.

The task force included only city and county agencies that have land-use power within the proposed park boundaries, she said.

“That’s why we had a citizens advisory committee, to accommodate the concerns and opinions of the property owners,” Golding said.