Del Mar Hotel Promoter Pushes for Petition Drive

DEL MAR — Millionaire James E. Smith is going ahead with his plan for a citywide initiative petition drive to find out if citizens want him to build a 500-room resort hotel, despite the City Council’s refusal Monday night to review the proposal.

Smith proposes to offer every Del Mar voter half-price rates on food, drink and rooms in his planned “world-class five-star” hostelry if residents approve the rezoning of his 20-acre hillside property overlooking the Del Mar Fairgrounds.

Smith said, after the council denied his request that a city attorney review the initiative’s wording, “It’s OK with me. I’ve already had legal counsel assist me in the wording of the petition. I didn’t use what he wrote because it didn’t make any sense.”

Smith said that his plans to circulate petitions among Del Mar’s 4,000 or so voters will still go on. He has enlisted the aid of Wayne Reynolds of Del Mar in the effort to gain the 400 or so signatures needed to put the issue to a vote of the people.

“It doesn’t set too well with me that a City Council refuses to spend such a minimal amount (half the cost of the city attorney’s time to review the petition wording) for such a grand proposal,” Smith said.

“The easiest thing for anyone to do is to do nothing,” he commented on the council’s second refusal to get involved in the hotel initiative.

Earlier this year Smith offered to pay the cost of a city election on the issue if the council would authorize it. City Council members refused then too. If he succeeds this time, the city will bear the expense estimated to be $5,000.

“It will be duck soup,” Smith said of his signature drive. If 15% of Del Mar voters sign the petition, the city must call a special election.

Councilman Scott Barnett led the opposition Monday night, arguing that it would be improper for the city to get involved with the initiative, “until he puts the signed petitions down on this (council) table.”

City Atty. Roger Kraul said he did not think it would be illegal for him to review the issue, but he admitted that it would not be proper for the council members to advise Smith on the initiative proposal.