Transportation Accessibility

In addition, the District also provides free and low-cost off-site parking options for Fairgoers.

These investments in accessibility ensure that the Del Mar Fairgrounds remains the community's iconic gathering place.

The San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) is working on plans to realign the Los Angeles-San Diego (LOSSAN) Corridor through San Diego County. As SANDAG states, this "critical rail corridor is the economic lifeline for our region, moving nearly eight million passengers and $1 billion worth of goods a year. It also plays a vital role in our nation’s defense by providing direct rail access to several key military bases."

A portion of the rail line sits to the west of the Del Mar Fairgrounds main campus. The closest station is Solana Beach Station, which serves passengers from Amtrak and COASTER trains. During the San Diego County Fair and live horse race meets in the summer and fall, passengers are able to take advantage of free shuttle service between Solana Beach Station and the Fairgrounds. This helps alleviate local traffic, carbon emissions, and associated noise in the cities of Del Mar, Solana Beach, and San Diego.

As part of its LOSSAN Rail Realignment and double-tracking project, SANDAG also has long had plans for a special events platform that will eliminate the need for shuttle buses and instead allow direct access to the Fairgrounds. SANDAG has also obtained partial funding for the project and hopes to complete it in the coming years. The platform would make the Del Mar Fairgrounds even more accessible to the public and would reduce traffic, noise, and emissions even further.

SANDAG is also studying a number of alignments through Del Mar, including one that could disrupt events and operations at the Del Mar Fairgrounds — and eliminate the planned platform. The District's Board of Directors and the City of Del Mar oppose efforts that would negatively impact the Del Mar Fairgrounds.

OFFICIAL RESOLUTION

Board of Directors

22^nd District Agricultural Association

WHEREAS, the 22^nd District Agricultural Association is a state institution that owns and operates the Del Mar Fairgrounds, which serves all of San Diego County and is located within the city limits of both the City of Del Mar and the City of San Diego. In addition, the Del Mar Fairgrounds is located adjacent to the City of Solana Beach. The District is sensitive to its neighbors’ needs and concerns; and

WHEREAS, the Del Mar Fairgrounds is the home of the San Diego County Fair, the region’s largest annual event, as well as dozens of other long-cherished traditions, events, and activities; and

WHEREAS, the 22^nd District Agricultural Association, which produces the San Diego County Fair, serves our county’s diverse communities and the State of California by providing fun, educational, and recreational events and services. This includes providing and hosting community programming such as the Junior Livestock Auction, the Plant-Grow-Eat initiative, the Care ‘N Share program, the Fair For All program, the Street Banner Program, and numerous other initiatives; and

WHEREAS, the Del Mar Fairgrounds has also served as a vital community asset in times of need. This included hosting people and animals during wildfire evacuations and serving as a vaccination super-station during the COVID-19 pandemic; and

WHEREAS, the Del Mar Fairgrounds sits in an environmentally sensitive area, and the 22^nd District Agricultural Association has invested millions of dollars to keep our coastlines clean and to maintain and restore the San Dieguito Lagoon and nests of the endangered least terns; and

WHEREAS, the 22^nd District Agricultural Association does not receive allocations of taxpayer dollars from the state or from local governments and instead operates effectively as a business, meaning it must generate its revenue for operations and capital improvements through hosting and producing events, activities, and operator agreements; and

WHEREAS, the events and activities at the Del Mar Fairgrounds do contribute directly to local governments through sales tax revenue, as well as other sources such as off-track betting revenue. In addition, San Diego State University studies found that in 2019 – prior to a marked increase in inflation -- the San Diego County Fair generated $236 million in spending for the local economy and the Del Mar Fairgrounds generated $680 million in economic impact for the region. The 22^nd District Agricultural Association’s operations also support small businesses, entrepreneurs, and thousands of workers, including more than 1,200 temporary employees from the San Diego County community who are hired for the Fair; and

WHEREAS, public transportation has long been a key factor for the success of the San Diego County Fair, live racing meets, and other events. For years, the 22^nd District Agricultural Association and the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club have provided free shuttle service to and from Solana Beach Station and promoted public transportation use for major events; and

WHEREAS, the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) has long planned – and has already obtained partial funding for – a seasonal rail platform to be built adjacent to the Del Mar Fairgrounds as part of its double-tracking plan. A seasonal rail platform would further promote public transportation for major events, which would create significant economic and environmental benefits for the region; and

WHEREAS, as part of the same project, SANDAG is simultaneously developing necessary plans for the realignment of the Los Angeles-San Diego (LOSSAN) rail corridor, the second-busiest corridor in the United States. SANDAG previously studied an alignment that would run partially through the 22^nd District Agricultural Association’s property, but found extensive problems with such an idea and had not previously considered it a preferred alternative; and

WHEREAS, the Del Mar City Council on November 13, 2023, voted to call for further study of an alignment that would run through the Del Mar Fairgrounds. But on December 18, 2023, the Del Mar City Council also voted on a guiding principle, which states, “With regard to study of a potential Fairgrounds rail alignment, SANDAG must respect and protect the operational, economic, environmental and planning needs of the 22nd DAA and of the proposed Del Mar housing program on the fairgrounds, and as a key stakeholder be proactively engaged by SANDAG throughout process.” This principle was added in consultation with the 22^nd District Agricultural Association; and

WHEREAS, the 22^nd District Agricultural Association is a major stakeholder in plans regarding the LOSSAN Rail Realignment Project and will benefit from the long-planned seasonal rail platform; and

WHEREAS, the 22^nd District Agricultural Association is currently engaged in strategic planning efforts to shape the future of the Del Mar Fairgrounds. The possibility of a train realignment threatens this strategic planning work and could jeopardize this vital community asset that has served San Diego County since 1936.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the 22^nd District Agricultural Association Board of Directors:

SECTION 1. That the 22^nd District Agricultural Association is firmly opposed to any LOSSAN corridor realignment that impacts operational, economic, environmental, and planning needs at the Del Mar Fairgrounds.

SECTION 2. That the 22^nd District Agricultural Association’s top public transportation priority is the swift construction of a seasonal rail platform that will reduce vehicular traffic during major events at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, thereby improving local air quality and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

SECTION 3. That the 22^nd District Agricultural Association’s property may be unable to serve as an affordable housing site for the City of Del Mar should a plan move forward to run train tracks through or across District property.

SECTION 4. That this resolution takes effect immediately upon passage and reflects the official position of the 22^nd District Agricultural Association.

SECTION 5. That the Chief Executive Officer of the 22^nd District Agricultural Association will provide a copy of this finalized resolution, along with a record of the final vote, to SANDAG and is hereby authorized to represent the Board of Directors’ position in any public or private forum.

APPROVED by the 22^nd District Agricultural Association Board of Directors on February 20^th, 2024.