San Diego sues Fairmont Grand Del Mar for $1.45 million
One of San Diego s most luxurious hotels is accused of stiffing the city of more than $1 million in fees meant to preserve habitat, according to a new lawsuit.
and last updated 2021-05-05 20:53:23-04
SAN DIEGO (KGTV) One of San Diego s most luxurious hotels is accused of stiffing the city of more than $1 million in fees meant to preserve habitat, according to a new lawsuit.
The lawsuit, which the City Attorney filed last month, says the ownership of the Fairmont Grand Del Mar owes the city $1.45 million in fees, reimbursements, and penalties. The fees stem from a 1996 voter-approved agreement that required the hotel to pay as much as $6.3 million for habitat preservation in return for the right to build the 300-room hotel, 124 homes, and 18-hole golf course. The money would come as a share of room nights and a percentage of HOA fees.
SAN DIEGO
San Diego is suing the Grand Del Mar luxury hotel complex in Carmel Valley for nearly $1.5 million in unpaid fees that are allegedly required by the project’s development agreement and a ballot measure that allowed its construction.
The lawsuit, filed April 21, says the city treasurer’s office tried unsuccessfully to collect the money before seeking a legal remedy.
The Newport Beach law firm listed as representing the hotel, the Sitzer Law Group, did not respond Tuesday to requests for comment.
The bulk of the allegedly unpaid fees, $1.1 million, came due Dec. 30 during a pandemic that has created significant financial challenges for nearly every business in San Diego’s tourism industry.