This week saw big milestones achieved for city parks, public art and how we are helping people get around town in a more sustainable way. More on that plus other news in the updates below.
- A new park for dogs
- Veterans Park passes another milestone
- Public art at Fire Station 2
- Why all the talk about mobility?
- TGIF concerts move to Calavera
- Free pet adoptions this week
- Getting involved
- Thank you for feedback!
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Poinsettia park gets new dog park, restrooms, parking and EV charging
Yesterday the city celebrated the official ribbon cutting for several improvements to Poinsettia Community Park, including:
- The city’s third dog park and the first with grass (don’t worry, we use recycled water for irrigation, to help conserve our precious drinking water supplies).
- A new restroom next to the very popular pickleball courts.
- A new parking lot that includes four EV charging stations.
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Backstory
- The city plans improvements to parks and other amenities based on various plans that were developed with community input, with a focus on maintaining (or even increasing) our excellent quality of life.
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The city is currently updating our Parks & Recreation Master Plan to identify priorities for the next five years – you probably saw or participated in an online survey and public workshop earlier this year.
- In addition to community input, we look at demographic changes, industry trends, funding sources and other factors before making a recommendation to the City Council to approve an updated plan.
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A draft of the latest master plan should be available for public review late this year.
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Veterans Memorial Park passes another milestone
Speaking of parks, on Tuesday the City Council approved some additional studies and plans that will bring Veterans Memorial Park one step closer to completion. This park will have a totally different look and feel than any other city park.
- The community told us they really wanted to keep a natural setting at this park to complement the protected habitat preserves and nature trails already on the property.
- There will also be spaces for quiet contemplation and reflection, to honor those who have served our country.
- Trails, art, three different kinds of playgrounds and a bike track round out the planned amenities.
Check out these new renderings to get a sense of just how special this new park will be.
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The next step is to submit final designs to the City Council before putting the construction contract out to bid. If all goes as planned, the new park will open in 2025.
More information
Speaking of new city parks, next up is Robertson Ranch Community Park, located at the northeast corner of El Camino Real and Cannon Road. Stay tuned for next steps, including how you can be involved in the park's design.
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Public art approved for Fire Station 2
The Carlsbad City Council on Tuesday approved the design for public art to be featured at the rebuilt Fire Station 2 in south Carlsbad. The station is undergoing a major rebuilding project that will be completed this fall.
Arts and culture are among the core values in Carlsbad’s Community Vision, which helps guide City Council goals and other decision making.
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- The new public art piece was designed by artist Mary Carter Taub in collaboration with firefighters, the community, the arts commission and the city’s Cultural Arts staff.
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It will be made of vibrant illuminated kiln-fused glass, unlike any other public art we have in Carlsbad.
- The glass panels are a “map mashup” of aerial views of Carlsbad with colors inspired by beach sunsets, the Flower Fields, Batiquitos Lagoon and homes in Olde Carlsbad. The lines are actually a map of our major streets plus an outline of the shape of the lagoon.
- The artist chose to focus on curved lines and vibrant colors to complement the more linear design of the fire station.
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This project is part of Arts & Culture Master Plan and public art program. The program is designed to expand residents’ appreciation of art, improve quality of life and help enhance and identify Carlsbad as a unique community.
Fire station next steps
The old Fire Station 2, built in 1969, was demolished last year to make room for a new modern station. The new station will occupy the same footprint as the old one but has about 7,000 more square feet. That’s enough space to accommodate up to five emergency response vehicles, including a 60-foot ladder truck, fire engine and an ambulance.
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What is mobility and why do we keep talking about it?
Also on Tuesday, our city’s Transportation Director gave an update to the City Council on the city’s efforts to ease traffic congestion and generally make it more convenient for people to get around Carlsbad in whatever way they want to do that. In a nutshell, that’s what we mean by “mobility.”
- In the past, transportation around cities was almost exclusively focused on driving, except for dense urban areas where public transit is well utilized.
- Fast forward to today and for a variety of reasons this thinking is changing.
- The new term of art – mobility – changes the focus to moving people rather than vehicles.
- Don’t get me wrong, cars are still an important way people get around.
- But now we (along with most cities) are finding ways to make other modes of transportation a safe and inviting alternative where that makes sense.
On Tuesday, the City Council gave feedback on our Sustainable Mobility Plan’s implementation. This plan focuses on prioritizing transportation options that also are good for the environment. Some of the current and upcoming initiatives include:
- A safe routes to schools program, making it easier to walk and bike to school
- A program to work with employers to encourage ridesharing, transit, telecommuting and other alternatives to driving alone in a car
- Improving sidewalks, crosswalks and bike lanes on streets all over the city.
Aside from these special projects, city staff also provided an update on other transportation improvements. Below are some highlights. You can read the full report for more information (it is long!).
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How will we ensure an excellent quality of life tomorrow?
- Fire Department services and response times
- Demographics and population trends from the San Diego Association of Governments
- Traffic and mobility (there’s that term again)
Background
The resident-led committee is working with the city to develop a new plan for how to manage future growth while maintaining Carlsbad's excellent quality of life.
- The committee is still in the early stages of discussion, where they are learning about 11 existing “performance standards.”
- These standards have been in place since the 90s and need to be updated to reflect where the city is today and our community’s priorities.
- An example of a performance standard is the number of acres of parks per 1,000 residents.
- In August, they’re expected to discuss performance standards for libraries, parks and open space.
The full agenda and staff report for tonight’s meeting are posted on the city's website. The meeting will probably go until around 8 p.m., but you can also watch a recording after the fact It’s a lot of technical information right now, but it’s all very important background.
The committee is expected to meet through early 2023 to look at different options and ideas. Their final recommendations about what a new plan should consider will be presented to the City Council next year.
More information
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TGIF moves to Calavera Hills Park
On Friday, our TGIF Concerts in the Parks series moves to Calavera Hills Community Park. The show will feature the Ryan Hiller Band, blending an original sound mixed with funk, soul and rock. If you haven’t attended a show yet this season, you’re in for a treat. Remember this important info before you head to the park:
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- The field will open at 4 p.m. Concert starts at 6 p.m.
- Consider getting dropped off or carpooling to ease traffic.
- You can park offsite at Sage Creek High School, 3900 Cannon Road, and take our free shuttle to and from the concert location.
- The shuttle runs from 4:15 to 9:15 p.m.
- Don’t forget to pack a picnic – no food and drink vendors this season.
- Please leave your furry friends at home (service animals are welcome).
- It never hurts to bring bug spray just in case.
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Free pet adoptions through Sunday
If news of our new dog park has inspired you to consider adding a new member to your family, you are in luck. The San Diego Humane Society is waiving all adoption fees this week until Sunday, July 31, for all adoptable birds, dogs, cats, small pets and livestock. The nonprofit animal shelter has more than 1,600 animals in care, including more than 600 that are available for adoption, including many kittens, birds and large dogs.
Humane Society shelters, including the two in Oceanside, are open for walk-in adoptions from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday.
The City of Carlsbad contracts with the Humane Society for a wide variety of animal services.
To view animals currently available for adoption, visit the Humane Society’s website.
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Meetings update
No public meetings are scheduled next week, and the City Council will be on recess until Aug. 16.
This week we said goodbye to City Attorney Celia Brewer, who has been with the City of Carlsbad for nearly 10 years. I shared news of her retirement a couple of months ago, but now it is official. City managers and city attorneys tend to work very closely together, and this is certainly the case in Carlsbad. Celia has been a trusted colleague, creative problem solver and passionate advocate for good government, and I am going to miss working with her very much.
However, I want to assure you we are in good hands with the appointment of Cindie McMahon. I have already begun to work with Cindie in this new capacity and I am looking forward to our community getting to know her too.
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Clarification from last week
Finally today, I want to clarify something I shared last week (and thank those of you who let me know when something sounds off).
In the update on COVID-19, instead of restating the same health precautions I have been sharing for the past two years, I instead suggested you check with your own health care provider and public health agencies for guidance. To some, this seemed like I had changed my approach or was no longer urging caution.
Why the change?
Here’s the reason for the change – as I reviewed all the latest guidance from public health agencies, I quickly realized that at this stage of the pandemic, recommendations have become much more specialized based on individual situations and settings. I started to try to summarize it all, then decided it was best to just share the links to the public health agencies and suggest checking with your own health care providers.
My goal all along has been to help protect the health and safety of our community. I am not a public health expert, but the city works regularly with public health experts, mostly from the county. I want to make sure our community always knows where to get the latest information about COVID (or any public health concern) and that what I am sharing is accurate.
I’m sorry if this change caused concern. And I really do mean it when I say I enjoy hearing from you. Whether you want to give the city praise or point out a concern, your engagement tells me you care, and I can’t ask for more than that.
Have a great weekend, and I’ll be back with more updates.
Scott Chadwick
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Fun things to do
Quick Links
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