Trustees approve Carmel Del Mar modernization plans, opt for smaller MUR opening; CEQA notices and contractor RFPs also cleared

Del Mar Union School District trustees voted unanimously to clear environmental review and seek a contractor for two school modernizations — Carmel Del Mar and Ashley Falls — while limiting scope changes at Carmel Del Mar to a widened rear opening and a Library Innovation Center modernization rather than a larger, more costly expansion into the campus courtyard.

The decision follows a multi-month design and community-engagement process for Carmel Del Mar. District facilities staff presented comparative cost estimates and design options, and trustees weighed community concerns about preserving the school’s amphitheater and library character.

Why the board’s action matters: the approvals allow the district to file California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) notices of exemption and to issue a request for proposals for a lease–leaseback contractor. Bringing a contractor on early for preconstruction work, staff said, helps refine schedules and find cost efficiencies before construction begins in 2026.

District project manager Nathan Wolf told the board Del Mar Hills Academy’s modernization — completed this summer — is now in warranty and only has “a few, lingering punch items.” He framed Carmel Del Mar’s options around two trade-offs: (1) a lower-cost package that modernizes the Library Innovation Center and expands the Mixed Use Room (MUR) rear opening (estimated additional cost roughly $800,000 above the $10.0 million construction allowance), and (2) a much larger expansion into the courtyard that staff estimated could add roughly $3.6 million to $4.4 million or more because it would trigger a broader structural retrofit of the contiguous building.

Staff noted the library modernization alone (ceiling, skylights, lighting, casework, flooring and courtyard refresh) is estimated at about $1.3 million; raising the floor and full courtyard rework was estimated closer to $2.0 million. Expanding the MUR by roughly 1,000 square feet into the front courtyard would increase usable seating and sight-lines but would also bring the design closer to the campus fire lane and would require demolition and regrading that raise cost and complexity.

Trustees and staff discussed alternatives to a full expansion, including an expanded rear opening with an overhang, improved audiovisual equipment and temporary canopies or streaming options for overflow crowds during performances and evening events. Trustee Bill (last name not specified in the record) and others said preserving the amphitheater and the campus character was important; Trustee Carlos (first name not specified) asked staff to consider high-quality AV and carefully designed temporary coverage as lower-cost ways to increase usable capacity for events.

Board action and timeline - The board approved the CEQA notice of exemption for Ashley Falls modernization (item 9.2) and for Carmel Del Mar modernization (item 9.3). The motions passed unanimously. - The board authorized staff to issue a request for proposals for a lease–leaseback contractor packaging Carmel Del Mar and Ashley Falls together (item 9.4). Staff said packaging both projects encourages contractors to assemble a larger project team (better superintendent and project-management resources) and can produce better value and pricing. Motion passed unanimously. - Staff recommended proceeding with the Library Innovation Center modernization and with the enlarged rear opening for the MUR rather than the larger south expansion into the amphitheater/courtyard. Staff said that with preconstruction work and careful phasing the district expects to start construction in mid-2026 and complete work by summer 2027.

What trustees and people said - Nathan Wolf (project manager, facilities) described the near-complete Del Mar Hills project as “amazing” and noted that only warranty punch-list items remain. - Chris (facilities staff) explained how bringing a contractor on for preconstruction had previously preserved budget and schedule in other district projects and could identify material and scope savings. - Superintendent Marissa Janicek said the district values community input and will continue school-by-school co-design with staff and parents as plans are finalized.

Next steps and implementation details - Staff will file the CEQA Notices of Exemption and proceed with the RFP process for a lease–leaseback contractor. Board direction was to prioritize the Library Innovation Center work and the MUR rear opening within the approved funding envelope while pursuing preconstruction value-engineering through the selected contractor. - Staff said they will return with refined phasing plans and an implementation timeline, and will bring final design packages to the board and community before major construction work.

Ending Trustees said they wanted to preserve Carmel Del Mar’s character while expanding functionality for performances and STEAM-plus programming. With CEQA exemptions approved and a contractor procurement authorized, staff will proceed to refine design and scheduling ahead of a projected 2026 construction start.