Del Mar Council Picks Lone Candidate to Fill Vacant Seat

It was hardly a horse race when Elliot Parks came in first “where the turf meets the surf” in Old Del Mar.

Four City Council members unanimously chose Parks, a research scientist, to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Councilman Chris Helton last month. The only other candidate for the council seat, bank manager Dianne Nau, withdrew.

City Manager Gloria Curry said that Nau submitted her withdrawal by letter before the Monday night interview and selection session, saying that, after talking with others, she felt that she did not have the time to devote to the council post.

Parks, 45, is a 16-year resident of Del Mar and for the past three years has been chairman of the city planning commission. He will serve out the rest of Helton’s term, which expires in April, 1994

As the lone candidate remaining for the vacated post, Parks won in a walk, especially after council queries showed that he favored keeping Del Mar just as it was. He also favors plans for a new civic center complex for the city, as does the rest of the council.

When Helton announced his resignation from his council seat a few weeks ago, explaining that his firm had transferred him to the Los Angeles area, the council debated whether to fill the vacancy by election in November but decided to save time and money--$10,000--by appointing a successor.

In addition to his stint on the planning commission, Parks has served on a number of city advisory boards and committees, including Del Mar 2000, which planned for the city’s future in the next century, and the Railroad Advisory Board, which sought to retain Amtrak train service to Del Mar.

Parks holds a doctoral degree in microbiology and works with a biotechnology firm on Torrey Pines Mesa. The new councilman said after his selection that his first task will be to acquaint himself with the issues and opinions of fellow Del Mar residents, who number about 5,000.