Del Mar

A movie company that wants to use a historic bridge over the San Dieguito Lagoon in Del Mar to stage a car crash is making a last-ditch effort to win the city’s approval of the proposal.

Del Mar City Manager Kay Jimno said Thursday that Los Angeles-based Alive Films plans to survey residents near the 40-year-old wooden bridge in an effort to win support for their bid to film the stunt.

The City Council last month refused to issue a permit for the movie shoot, a segment to be included in a World War II-era film called “Destiny,” starring William Hurt and Timothy Hutton.

Council members were concerned about the environmental hazards of crashing a car into the sensitive wetland--home to several endangered birds--and predicted that nearby residents would be disturbed by the filming. The shooting would take place at night and would involve large crews and twin towers that would create rain.

Then Alive Films representatives--who say the Grand Avenue bridge is ideal for their needs--made another offer, suggesting that they film everything except the actual crash of the vehicle into the lagoon. Still, the answer was no.

But the city manager told the disappointed movie moguls that she might reconsider their request if they could muster unanimous support for the filming among nearby residents. Alive Films now intends to canvass residents in hopes of winning their blessing.

“If they come back with evidence that no one objects, I’ll look at their application a little differently,” Jimno said.