A Brigadoon Lost?
by: Jack Koenig

When Annie and I moved into Del Mar Woods in 1988, we were enchanted by the friendliness, peacefulness, and “lost in time” atmosphere of our new neighborhood.  Having been very involved with several summer stock theaters over a period of years, I immediately coined the term “Brigadoon of the North Shore.” Brigadoon, of course, was that mythical village in Scotland which appeared only once every 100 years, locking the village in a time warp.

Similarly, Del Mar Woods seemed to be locked into some type of time warp: its neighbors were hospitable, you could safely walk the streets with your children or dogs, and small well maintained homes dotted the landscape.

Today, as massive tear downs have begun sweeping the “village,” many residents are alarmed at what they see: trees being destroyed to make room for larger - upscale homes, roads being destroyed, and the old country like atmosphere giving way to a more urban environment.

Or is it really as bad as some believe?

For the most part, the new homes are an asset to the neighborhood. With the exception of one or two properties, the new homes have character and are well landscaped. In some instances, trees may have had to be removed to accommodate the homes larger footprints, but by and large the builders did all they could to preserve as many trees as possible. But what about those contractors who don’t have a clue on the care and protection of existing trees? A tree ordinance isn’t going to address that issue; we need some type of indoctrination which goes hand in glove with the permitting process.

As a matter of fact, trees should be considered a small issue compared to other negative impacts larger homes are having on “The Woods.” Some of these items include road beds and road bed surfaces, our antiquated water system, sewage system constraints, and storm water runoff.

And since all the new homes seem to have basements with raised foundations, perhaps we should also be more concerned how storm water runoff impacts their lower lying neighbors. Should the building permit fee include a “roof tax” to help fund a new storm water drainage system?

Our feeble water supply system is finally being replaced and should be more than capable of handling just about anything thrown at it. Or will it? In a recent meeting with Utilities, Inc, we were told even the new system can’t fight a major fire because the supply line from Lake Forest to our system is too small.

Finally what, if anything, will happen to our sewage system as more new homes come on line? Will it be overwhelmed? I haven’t seen any answers on the horizon. Perhaps the existing system is fine… perhaps not. Has anyone checked?

For further information on the tree issue, click HERE

To view some photos of the new, larger homes, click HERE

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