At 7 a.m. on July 1, 1986, five people stood at Fletcher Cove and were sworn in by San Diego County Supervisor Susan Golding as the first City Council of Solana Beach. They were Mayor Margaret Schlesinger, Deputy Mayor Jack Moore, and Council members Richard Hendlin, Marion Dodson and Celine Olson. The swearing-in had been planned for that evening. It moved to sunrise because the council learned that a large number of building permits were being rushed through the County Planning Department before they took office. Their first action was an emergency 45-day freeze on all new construction. It was one of 21 ordinances and resolutions they adopted before the meeting recessed at 7:22 a.m.
Forty years later, the city isn't holding one big standalone party. It has spread the anniversary across its regular community calendar. Most of what's left this year takes place at the two places the 1986 city was built around: the cove where it was sworn in and La Colonia, the original neighborhood the new city took in.
A fight over who decided what got built
Getting to that sunrise took a long time. The Solana Beach Civic & Historical Society's history of the city traces the idea back to 1959. That year the Solana Beach Chamber of Commerce asked the Public Affairs Research Institute at San Diego State College to forecast the community's future. The study predicted rapid growth, warned that County services were unlikely to keep up, and said "This is the time for decision."
It took more than a decade for anything to happen. In the early 1970s the County approved a "China Wall" of condominium buildings that essentially closed public access to the bluff tops. In 1971 a Solana Beach Town Council survey found 65% support for some kind of home rule. A year later the Town Council published Solana Beach at the Crossroads, a study that argued firmly for incorporation. Three attempts still failed. Two of them would have combined Solana Beach with nearby San Dieguito communities, and the third would have incorporated Solana Beach alone.
Disputes over County land-use decisions kept building support for cityhood. One was the long fight over Holmwood Canyon near San Elijo Lagoon, led by Friends of Holmwood Canyon president Jack Peek and his wife, Carol. In 1986 Proposition N went on the ballot with full Chamber support and a coalition of civic groups behind it, and it passed with almost 65% of the vote. Joe Kellejian, speaking to The Coast News this summer, recalled serving on the eight-person CITI committee, short for "Citizens Intending To Incorporate," which gathered signatures for the measure.
The Peeks show up in the founding morning too. Resolution No. 9 adopted the City Seal, which Carol Peek designed and which already hung on the podium at Fletcher Cove. That evening Jack Peek was master of ceremonies at the celebration.
The cove, rebuilt in time for its anniversary
Fletcher Cove has hosted most of this anniversary year. On July 2 the city's official kickoff concert at Fletcher Cove Park featured Betamaxx and Atomic Groove playing 1980s music, with free hot dogs, cupcakes and raffle tickets. For one night only, the show moved down onto the beach. At a City Council recognition tied to the anniversary, Mayor Lesa Heebner called it a "significant milestone," and the city honored former council members.
The cove people walked down to this summer was partly new. In March 2026 the City Council approved a notice of completion for the Fletcher Cove Beach Access Improvement Project, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. Crews replaced the concrete beach access ramp, the asphalt walkway just south of it, the curb and the metal handrailing. They also installed a new dissipator grate, added a shower area at the bottom of the ramp, upgraded the existing showers and replaced the stairs in Fletcher Cove Park. The city's announcement lists two shower stations and stainless-steel handrails.
The old grate had been there about as long as the city has had a train station. It went in around 1998 as part of the North County Transit District Train Station project and its drainage work. A.B. Hashmi did the replacement work under a base contract of $432,525 with an $84,000 contingency.
La Colonia's turn: October 18
The biggest remaining anniversary event takes place at La Colonia Park, 715 Valley Avenue, on Sunday, October 18, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Every year the City and the La Colonia Community Foundation co-host Día de los Muertos, honoring the ancestral legacy of La Colonia de Eden Gardens. This year's theme is the city's 40th anniversary.
According to the city's event page, the anniversary pieces include:
- A featured display of photos from throughout the city's history
- A celebratory cake cutting
- A limited-edition mug giveaway
The rest of the program stays rooted in the celebration itself. The main focus is more than 40 altars honoring family and friends who have died, and Danza Azteca San Luis Rey begins blessing them at 10 a.m. The lineup includes the MiraCosta Ballet Folklórico Club, a classic car show by the Viejitos Car Club, and music by Los Gringos Muertos Band, Ilusión Norteña, JoJo Productions and Mariachi Del Mar. Kids get a piñata, a scavenger hunt and crafts, and there are Catrin/Catrina, dog costume and face mask contests.
Food and drinks are for sale, and vendors sell gifts and handmade goods. Parking will be limited, so the city suggests carpooling, biking, walking or public transit, and asks guests to bring their own picnic chairs and blankets. The foundation posts updates on Facebook and Instagram at @lacoloniacommunityfoundation.
The rest of the year, by location
After October 18 the calendar goes back and forth between the cove and the park until the end of the year.
Saturday, October 31, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Solana Beach Fire Department holds its Halloween open house at the station, 500 Lomas Santa Fe Drive.
Wednesday, November 11, 11 a.m. to noon. The City and VFW Post 5431 hold the Veterans Day ceremony at La Colonia Park.
Saturday, November 14, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The city's annual World Kindness Day celebration is on the lawn outside the Fletcher Cove Community Center, 133 Pacific Avenue, and includes a community clothing swap. Bring clothes in good condition. The city's March schedule gave November 13 for World Kindness Day, but the current event listing says the 14th.
Sunday, December 6, starting 4:30 p.m. The Holiday Tree Lighting at Fletcher Cove, hosted by the City and its Parks and Recreation Commission, has sweets, hot cocoa and cider. Mayor Lesa Heebner and the City Council flip the switch, and Santa arrives with a fire-truck escort at 5:20 p.m.
Sunday, December 13, 5 to 7 p.m. The City and the La Colonia Community Foundation hold a second free tree lighting at La Colonia Park, with Santa also due at 5:20 p.m.
The anniversary lineup reported in March listed December 6 and 12 for the tree lightings. The city's current page for the La Colonia lighting says December 13.
Reading up before the cake is cut
Local author Peter House expanded his 2025 book, Tale of a City, for the anniversary. The new version is called Making Great Better: 100 Years of Creating a California Coastal City. He drew on the Civic & Historical Society's digital archives. The book covers early subdivision and commercial growth, suburban expansion and incorporation, and how Fletcher Cove, Highway 101, Cedros Avenue, La Colonia and the city's smaller commercial centers have changed.
House sums up the 1986 vote this way:
"The road to that moment had taken 12 years of discussion, two failed San Dieguito efforts, one failed Solana Beach-only vote, and, finally, a successful campaign built on local confidence."
He offers the full illustrated book as a free PDF, and hardcover and paperback copies can be ordered. Download instructions are on the Society's news page. The Society has also posted the original source documents: the 1959 forecast study, the 1972 Crossroads report, and the minutes of the first council meeting. The minutes cover the meeting that started at sunrise and recessed at 7:22 a.m.
At Wisdom Properties, we enjoy local history like this, especially when it explains how a coastal town came to look the way it does. If you have a question about Solana Beach's older streets, its homes or how they've changed since 1986, we'd be glad to hear from you. Contact Us.
