Del Mar's City Council is trying to figure out what Shores Park should become, and not everyone agrees on the answer. During a Sept. 22 update on the park's master-planning process, council members voiced support for mixed use of the property amid differing opinions about the park's use.
The debate, as detailed by The San Diego Union-Tribune, centers on a stretch of land that Winston School students regularly use and that Winston School itself helped fund, contributing $3 million toward Shores Park. That financial stake has become part of the argument over who gets to use the park and when.
City leaders say their approach for now is straightforward: monitor conditions at the space. Del Mar's report indicates the council plans to monitor Shores Park conditions to make sure the property stays clean and safe for Winston School students as the broader master-planning process continues.
Dog Owners Say the Park Builds Community
For residents who bring their dogs to Shores Park, the space has become something closer to a neighborhood living room than a simple patch of grass. According to the same report, Del Mar residents supporting continued dog-park use said the park offers a unique meeting area that draws the community together.
Supporters described Shores Park as a place that brings the community together, framing informal dog-park use as a social good worth preserving.
Residents Differ on Dog-Park Use
Residents expressed differing views about dog-park use at Shores Park.
The discussion included the possibility of a dog area as part of the park's future.
Monitoring Park Conditions
The council plans to monitor conditions at Shores Park as the master-planning process continues.
The council indicated it will keep weighing the finer details and allowable uses as the Shores Park master-planning process moves forward, according to the Union-Tribune's reporting.
Separately, an event took place at Shores Park in 2023, as described by the City of Del Mar.
