DEL MAR — With a 3-2 vote at the July 7 meeting, council appointed Rick Ehrenfeld to the Design Review Board, and later agreed unanimously to cancel the Aug. 4 meeting.
Ehrenfeld, a former Planning Commission member, received votes from Mayor Lee Haydu, Don Mosier and Terry Sinnott, currently the three most tenured council members.
Mark Baum, the only other applicant, received nods from Sherryl Parks and Al Corti.
Ehrenfeld said his eight years on the Planning Commission and 18 months as a member of the Form-Based Code Committee provided him with the experience needed to serve on the Design Review Board.
“I learned to work with staff and to effectively use meetings to gather public input,” he wrote in his application. “I understand the role of a discretionary board/commission within the structure of the city government.”
Ehrenfeld also noted his time on the Form-Based Code Committee provided him with “an appreciation of the challenges of applying the current (design review ordinance) to projects in the central commercial zone.”
He said his experience as a teacher allowed him to understand communication is essential.
“I think I’m a good listener,” he said when asked what special skills he could bring to the DRB. “I think I have the ability to converse with other people on the board.
“I think the most important thing is to be able to be succinct in your decision making,” he added. “The application of the codes to make findings is the core.”
The DRB is charged with preserving and improving the scenic amenities of Del Mar and protecting the city’s natural environment, scenic vistas and overall aesthetic quality.
The review process involves an evaluation of a structure’s placement and size, the materials and colors to be used and, in the case of a new structure, the type and extent of the proposed landscaping.
An attorney who now owns a pharmaceutical company, Baum listed several other city committees on which he would be interested in serving, including some that currently have vacancies.
Haydu said he will likely be contacted to possibly serve on one of those.
For the past several years, council meetings have not been held in August. One was scheduled this year in the event any election issues needed to be addressed.
Since the city has no initiatives planned for the November ballot, and at least two additional workshops are planned in the fall, council opted to cancel the Aug. 4 meeting.
The next meeting on July 21 will be the last one of the summer, with meetings scheduled to resume Sept. 2.
Although council will not meet, staff is working all summer and City Hall will be open as scheduled.
