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News from the City of Carlsbad | April 24, 2025

Today, I’ll share how you can get involved with two public art projects underway in our community – one that will be at the highest point of our future Veterans Memorial Park and the other at the I-5 Chestnut underpass.

I’ll also give you a behind-the-scenes look at our asphalt crews working hard to keep our streets in top shape. And since it’s Work Zone Awareness Week, here are some safety tips to keep in mind when driving near work areas.

Here’s this week’s full lineup:

• Help shape public art at Veterans Memorial Park
• Meet the artists: Chestnut underpass public art project 
• Rate changes approved, still among the region’s lowest
• Saturday road work along El Camino Real
• City Council approves new Environmental Sustainability Commission
• Wrapping up Earth Month with these Saturday events
• Drop off unneeded medication at Prescription Drug Take Back Day
• Community events and activities
• What’s on the agenda for your next City Council meeting

Help shape public art at Veterans Memorial Park 

Three design concepts are now available for community input to help shape the public art planned for the future Veterans Memorial Park. The public art will be on the park’s upper plateau, a prominent area with sweeping views of the ocean, lagoon and golf course. 

The artist developed the initial concepts based on community feedback and input gathered from veterans, active duty military and military family members in our community. Themes that emerged include: 

• Honoring military service 
• Telling a meaningful story 
• Encouraging reflection and respect 
• Reflecting the unique character and values of the Carlsbad community 
• Inviting engagement 
• Embracing the park’s natural setting  

You can watch a short video to meet the artist, Gordon Huether Studio.

Two ways to provide input 

You can watch this video to learn more about the project, and visit the project webpage to review the three public art concepts. 

Online survey

Share your input in an online survey through May 23.

Arts Commission meeting 

The artist will present the three concepts at the May 1 Arts Commission meeting. This is a chance to hear directly from the artist and share your thoughts to help them refine and create a final design. 

Arts Commission meeting 

Thursday, May 1, 5:30 p.m. 

City Council Chamber 

1200 Carlsbad Village Drive 

The agenda and staff report will be posted by Monday, April 28. You can provide comments in-person or watch the meeting live on the city’s website or cable channel. Comments can also be emailed in advance to arts@carlsbadca.gov.

Next steps

Input received will be shared with the artist to refine one design, which will be presented to the Arts Commission and City Council later this year. 

Meet the artists: Chestnut underpass public art project 

Chestnut Avenue beneath I-5 will soon be home to the city’s first permanent public art at a freeway underpass. To help develop the concept, the artist team, Greenmeme, is hosting meet and greet events on Friday and Saturday. Stop by to learn more about their work and share what makes Carlsbad special.  

Friday, April 25

9 to 11 a.m.

Carlsbad Village Association

2695 State Street (Corner of Beech Avenue and State Street, next to Yoga on State)

Saturday, April 26

10 a.m. to noon

Holiday Park

1055 Chestnut Ave

1 to 3 p.m.

Library Learning Center

3368 Eureka Place

You can also email your ideas to arts@carlsbadca.gov. We’ll share them with the artist.

This public art project aligns with improvements to the Chestnut Avenue underpass, including a new bike lane and enhanced sidewalks, which Caltrans and SANDAG are building through the Build NCC project.

Rate changes approved, still among the region’s lowest

On Tuesday, the City Council – partly in their capacity as the Carlsbad Municipal Water District board – approved rate changes for water, sewer and recycled water based on results of recent studies to determine the actual cost of providing these services. The city doesn’t take raising rates lightly, so I want to provide some background information on what’s changing, why increases are needed and what we’re doing to reduce operating costs.

First, here’s a look at how much a typical single-family home’s bill could increase in the next three years. 

Although rates are increasing, Carlsbad’s rates will remain among the lowest in the region.  

Why increases are needed

The main driver of the water rate increase is the increasing cost of purchasing water from the region’s water wholesaler, the San Diego County Water Authority.

About one-third of the cost to provide service is specific to the Carlsbad Municipal Water District.

• These costs include things like infrastructure maintenance, repair and replacement and ensuring water quality meets all federal and state standards.
• From 2021 to 2023, construction costs increased 18%, which makes infrastructure repairs and replacement more expensive.

The main reasons sewer rate increases are needed include:

• Rising costs to replace aging infrastructure
• An increase in the costs for wastewater treatment infrastructure at the Encina Wastewater Authority, where Carlsbad’s wastewater is delivered and treated.

Reducing costs

Before we put forward rate increases for consideration, we looked closely at how we can reduce our costs while still providing reliable water service. Here are a few ways we've reduced costs recently:

• Eliminated two CMWD staff positions
• Reducing our planned spending on capital projects
• Focusing on proactive maintenance before costly emergency repairs or replacements are needed (which can cost up to four times as much as planned maintenance)
• Explored new technologies for things like pipeline repair and infrastructure inspections, which can be more cost effective than previous options.

A note on desalination

We’ve received some questions about the Claude “Bud” Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant and how that impacts our water rates. The short answer is that while the desalination plant is in Carlsbad, it doesn’t equate to lower water bills for our residents.

That’s because the city doesn’t own the plant — it’s privately operated and the Water Authority purchases the water at pre-defined prices. Water produced through desalination comes at a higher cost due to the energy-intensive process. Still, it provides about 17% of the Carlsbad Municipal Water District’s water and plays a key role in ensuring we have a reliable supply.

Three water and wastewater districts serve the City of Carlsbad. You can view water and wastewater district maps to find out which district provides service to your property. 

Saturday road work along El Camino Real

To minimize weekday traffic delays, some Saturday resurfacing work is required on the north end of El Camino Real, between Marron Road and Chestnut Avenue.

El Camino Real, Marron Road to Chestnut Avenue

Saturday, April 26

8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Check our weekly construction map to see city projects that could affect traffic, including additional work on El Camino Real. (The map doesn’t show projects by other agencies.)

Speaking of road work, here’s a clip of our team in action this week.

City Council approves new Environmental Sustainability Commission

At its meeting Tuesday, which also happened to be Earth Day, the City Council approved changing the Beach Preservation Commission into a broader Environmental Sustainability Commission.

Our resident-led Carlsbad Tomorrow Growth Management Citizens Committee recommended the change to the City Council as part of its efforts to identify issues and standards that will help ensure Carlsbad retains an excellent quality of life as it continues to grow. The change supports the city’s focus on sustainability and protecting the environment – a goal in the City Council’s 5-Year Strategic Plan. The new commission will discuss and provide recommendations to the City Council on topics related to:

• Natural resources and open space
• Beach nourishment and shoreline preservation
• Climate adaptation and environmental sustainability

The first meeting of the Environmental Sustainability Commission is scheduled for Aug. 7. 

Wrapping up Earth Month with these Saturday events

With Earth Month wrapping up, the city is hosting or joining several events on Saturday to help keep our environment clean and healthy:

• Donate, Don’t Waste Collection Event – Saturday, April 26, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Alga Norte Community Park
• Shred and Recycle It! Event – Saturday, April 26, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Spots still available; location provided after you register.)
• Creek to Bay Cleanup – Saturday, April 26, 9 a.m. to noon. (Register for a location.)

Drop off unneeded medication at Prescription Drug Take-Back Day

Properly disposing of old or unneeded prescription drugs also helps keep our community and environment safe. The city is hosting a drop-off event this Saturday for National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day.

Saturday, April 26

10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Safety Training Center

5750 Orion Street

The city also offers a year-round Prescription Drug Drop Box at the Police & Fire Headquarters at 2560 Orion Way. 

Community events and activities

Here are some more City of Carlsbad events and activities coming up at our libraries, community centers and the Carlsbad Senior Center.

• Cinema Club, “Stop Making Sense" – Friday, April 25, 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., Dove Library
• Community Friendship Builders (adults 50+) – Friday, April 25, 11 a.m. to noon., Carlsbad Senior Center
• Saturdays in the Courtyard – VeDanza Dance Studio and Ruben V. & Latin Sounds – Saturday, April 26, 4:30 to 6 p.m., Dove Library
• Reel Wednesday, “It's Kind of a Funny Story" – Wednesday, April 30, 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., Dove Library

And there’s still time to get tickets for Fiesta at the Rancho on May 10 — an evening of dinner, drinks, live entertainment and a silent auction at Leo Carrillo Historic Ranch. Hosted by Friends of Carrillo Ranch Inc., proceeds support local fourth graders’ visits to the ranch through the California History & Art Program.

Find more activities and information in our city calendar, the Senior Center’s Seaside Insider newsletter and our Spring Community Services Guide.

Lastly, please note that Saturday’s Pinechella event has been canceled. Several bands dropped out late in the planning, and the city wants to ensure a full and fun experience. Staff are exploring rescheduling in the fall.

What's on the agenda for your next City Council meeting

The next City Council meeting is Tuesday, April 29, starting at 5 p.m. in the City Council Chamber. Topics include:

• Agreements with software providers to modernize and consolidate the city’s essential technology 
• Authorizing emergency repairs to a damaged drainage channel west of the intersection of El Camino Real and Kelly Drive
• An appointment to the Historic Preservation Commission
• The annual review of the city’s Investment Policy and introducing an ordinance to restructure the committee that reviews the city’s investments 
• Introducing another ordinance to streamline the process of adjusting sewer fees to cover the cost of providing service 
• A public hearing on the city’s plan to spend federal Community Development Block Grant funds to help people with low incomes find housing in the next fiscal year, as required by federal law
• An appeal of the Planning Commission’s approval of a three-story medical office building on the southeast corner of Palomar Airport Road and Aviara Parkway 
• The city’s internal audit plan for next fiscal year 
• An update on the project to make improvements to the Carlsbad Boulevard-Tamarack Avenue intersection 
• Considering options to regulate new drive-thru restaurants in Carlsbad 
• Making the City Council Code of Ethics & Public Service Values applicable to all members of the city’s boards and commissions

The agenda and staff reports will be available on the city’s website by Friday, April 25.

3 easy ways to participate

1. Sign up to get agendas and staff reports emailed to you directly
2. Provide feedback via email before the meeting 
3. Sign up to speak at the meeting

… and 3 ways to watch

1. Follow the meeting live on the city's website 
2. Watch the meeting live on the city’s cable channel: Spectrum channel 24 or AT&T U-verse channel 99
3. Watch a recording of the meeting afterward (online or on our channel)

Board and commission meetings are also livestreamed on the city’s website and available to watch afterward. You can see the meeting schedule on our city calendar.

Enjoy your weekend!

Geoff Patnoe

City Manager