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News from the City of Carlsbad | June 12, 2025

As I send today’s update, City of Carlsbad Fire and Police Departments remain on the scene responding to a vegetation fire in eastern Carlsbad, in a canyon near Ranch Santa Fe Road and San Elijo Road. Thanks to their efforts – along with support from Cal Fire, San Marcos Fire Department, Encinitas Fire Department and the San Diego Sheriff’s Office – forward progress on the fire has stopped at approximately 45 acres burned and residents who were evacuated are now able to safely return to their homes. Fire crews are expected to remain on site overnight to continue work to fully contain the fire.

And earlier this week, 55 firefighters and 19 police officers came together to respond swiftly to a structure fire in our community. Thanks to the quick coordination between them, our dispatchers and fire crews from our neighboring cities, everyone was safely evacuated, the fire was quickly contained and no one was injured. Fire inspectors are currently working to determine the cause.

Incidents like these are an important reminder to make sure you're prepared in the event of an emergency. You can find safety tips and a checklist to create your emergency plan on our website.

Thank you to all of the emergency responders who kept our community safe and thank you to our community for continuing to look out for each other when it matters most.

Turning to this week’s update, our TGIF Concerts in the Parks series kicks off next week, so I’ll start with everything you need to know to join the fun. Plus, why you might notice more sand on our central beaches.

Here’s the full lineup:

• TGIF summer concert series kicks off next week
• More beach sand, just in time for summer
• Give input to help develop the Chestnut public art project
• Carlsbad hosts regional traffic enforcement for CITE Day
• Join us for a special Coffee with a Cop
• Apply to serve on the city’s Housing Commission
• Plan ahead to avoid traffic delays
• Upcoming events
• What’s on the agenda for your next City Council meeting

TGIF summer concert series kicks off next week 

Carlsbad’s popular TGIF Concerts in the Parks series will be back in action next week when vintage country group The Highwayman Show takes the stage on Friday, June 20 at Stagecoach Park.

This is the first of nine concerts across three city parks where you and your friends, family and neighbors can come together and enjoy live music this summer. (View the full band lineup on our website.)

If you’re planning to come to a TGIF concert, here’s what you need to know.  

Security

Similar to last year, security measures will be in place that reflect the latest best practices for large public events. If you didn’t make it to a concert in 2024, here are the changes you might notice:

• A low, temporary fence around the event space, with signs directing you to entrances and exits.
• There will be multiple entrances to minimize wait times.
• Professional event security guards will do bag checks and use a handheld wand to check for weapons and prohibited items. (Bottle openers, utensils and other picnic items are still allowed.)
• Police officers will be onsite to handle any questions that might come up during security checks.

This video shows how the process works: 

Family-friendly activities

Pop-up art is returning to TGIF concerts this year, offering people of all ages opportunities to create their own unique art pieces or participate in fun hands-on activities before the concert. At Stagecoach Park, look for the pop-up art booth just inside the east security entrance.

View details

Concert schedules

• Gates open at 4 p.m. with concerts from 6 to 8 p.m.  
• For concerts at Stagecoach Park, parking is available across the street at La Costa Canyon High School. A free shuttle from a remote parking lot will be available for concerts at Calavera Hills and Alga Norte parks.
• Complimentary bike valets will be available at all nine concerts.

More beach sand, just in time for summer



If you’ve been to Carlsbad’s central beaches lately, you might have noticed there’s a lot more room to spread out and enjoy yourself.

That’s because a recent project added more than 320,000 cubic yards of sand to beaches in the area. That’s enough to cover more than 150 football fields, endzone to endzone, with a foot of sand. It would take about 32,000 standard dump truck loads to bring that much sand to the beach.

Instead of using dump trucks, however, the sand was pumped directly onto the shore thanks to the recent Agua Hedionda Lagoon maintenance dredging project. 

• Every few years, crews from Channelside Water Resources, which operates the Carlsbad desalination plant, are brought in to clear out sand that has built up in the outer lagoon.
• This is an important project to keep water flowing for the nearby desalination plant and for the overall health of the coastal ecosystem within the lagoon.
• Crews pump the dredged sand onto nearby beaches so the community can make the most of our coast.

To get as much sand on these beaches as feasible, the city approved extended days and work hours until the project wrapped up in mid-May. The additional hours and dates paid off, with 17% more sand making it to our central coastline.

If you’ve got a beach day in store, here’s where you’ll find the wider, sandy beaches:

• North of the Agua Hedionda Lagoon, from Pine Avenue to the south end of the Tamarack Avenue Parking lot
• South of the Agua Hedionda Lagoon, from the warm water jetty to the Terramar development, north of the intersection of Cannon Road and Carlsbad Boulevard

Remember to bring plenty of sunscreen, even with the June gloom, and catch up on beach safety tips on our website.

More ways to share input on Chestnut underpass public art

Chestnut Avenue beneath I-5 will soon be home to the city’s first permanent public art at a freeway underpass. The selected artist team, Greenmeme, has scheduled some virtual conversations where you can provide more input to help develop the concept for the underpass artwork.

Virtual conversations

Tuesday and Wednesday, June 17 and 18

Zoom

Multiple times available

Sign up today

These virtual gatherings are an easy way you can share your ideas, stories and inspirations for the artwork and talk with other attendees. If you can’t make it, you can email us your ideas and feedback at arts@carlsbadca.gov. 

The project team also gathered input at several community events in April and May. This summer, Greenmeme will continue to develop the concept for the artwork based on all of the input. We anticipate providing an update to the Arts Commission in early September.

Carlsbad hosts regional traffic enforcement officers for CITE Day

If you were out and about on Wednesday, you may have noticed a larger police presence on our streets, including officers from agencies across the county.

That’s because Wednesday was the City of Carlsbad’s turn to host CITE Day. CITE stands for Countywide Interagency Traffic Enforcement. On that day, officers from up and down San Diego County help the city with traffic enforcement in areas with high rates of collisions, traffic violations and frequent complaints.

I want to thank our law enforcement partners from the region for helping keep our streets safe.

Please drive safely. Buckle up, slow down, stay focused and get where you’re going safely.

View more traffic safety tips.

Join us for a special Coffee with a Cop

Speaking of police, you can join the Carlsbad Police Department for a special Coffee with a Cop on Thursday, June 19, at Chapters Cafe at the Carlsbad City Library on Dove Lane. 

We hold these informal meetups at different locations throughout Carlsbad so you can get to know local officers, ask questions and share your thoughts. This one’s special because you’ll be chatting with members of our command staff. Come learn more about the Carlsbad Police Department or just enjoy the conversation in a relaxed, friendly setting.



Coffee with a Cop

Thursday, June 19

9 to 10 a.m.

Chapters Cafe at Dove Library

1775 Dove Lane

Apply to serve on the Housing Commission

If you’re interested in getting involved and making a difference in our community, we currently have two vacancies on the city’s Housing Commission. This commission advises and makes recommendations to the City Council on affordable housing projects in Carlsbad and programs aimed at reducing homelessness.

Housing Commission

Two vacancies

Meetings: Second Thursday of the month, 4 p.m.

Deadline to apply: July 8 at noon

Applicants must be Carlsbad residents who are registered to vote in the city. You can apply online or pick up an application at the City Clerk’s Office at City Hall, 1200 Carlsbad Village Drive. 

Plan your week to avoid traffic delays



Before you head out to work or play this week, don’t forget to check the city’s construction map to see where city projects are happening that might impact your commute. The map is updated weekly to help you avoid or minimize traffic delays and detours that often come with construction.

Remember, the map only shows city projects. It doesn’t include construction projects by local utilities, private companies or other agencies.  

Community events and activities

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

• Cinema Club, “Being Mary Tyler Moore" – Friday, June 13, 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., Dove Library
• Summer Fridays – Friday, June 13, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., Carlsbad Senior Center
• Saturday in the Courtyard: Ladies of Gilgamesh – Saturday, June 14, 5 to 6 p.m., Dove Library
• Reel Wednesday, “Sing Sing" – Wednesday, June 18, 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., Dove Library

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

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

The next City Council meeting is Tuesday, June 17, starting at 5 p.m. in the City Council Chamber. Topics on the agenda include:

• Monthly update on how the city’s investments are performing 
• The Carlsbad Tourism Business Improvement District’s annual report  
• An agreement with Catholic Charities Diocese of San Diego to provide shelter for people experiencing homelessness at the La Posada de Guadalupe homeless shelter, with the focus on getting them into permanent housing  
• A sponsorship agreement for this year’s TGIF Concerts in the Park  
• An agreement allowing Carlsbad Police officers to undergo emergency driving training at the county’s training course  
• The annual report showing all schools, hotels, motels, apartment and condominium buildings in Carlsbad have received fire inspections 
• Awarding the contract for street sweeping across the city  
• An agreement to provide hazardous waste collection services to Carlsbad residents  
• An agreement to support regional watershed protection efforts and help prepare a state-required water quality improvement plan 
• A state-required annual assessment that shows the Carlsbad Municipal Water District’s anticipated water supplies will adequately meet anticipated demands  
• Continuing the declaration of an emergency to make swift repairs to a damaged drainage channel west of the intersection of El Camino Real and Kelly Drive 
• Introducing an ordinance to turn the Beach Preservation Commission into the city’s new Environmental Sustainability Commission 
• Adopting an ordinance to adopt the state’s updated Fire Hazard Severity Zone Map, which classifies the areas of Carlsbad that are most susceptible to wildfire 
• Adopting the fiscal year 2025-26 city budget  
• Street improvement options for Kelly Drive near Kelly Elementary School 
• Council Member request: Resolution of support for Our Neighborhood Voices Ballot Initiative

The agenda and staff reports are available on the city’s website.

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.

Before I sign off, I want to wish a very Happy Father’s Day to all the dads, grandpas and father figures who live and work in Carlsbad. Enjoy the day in your honor!

Geoff Patnoe

City Manager