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News from the City of Carlsbad | Nov. 14, 2024

Today, we are carrying on with our veterans theme from last week by reporting on the next steps for creating artwork at the highest point of our future Veterans Memorial Park. I’ll tell you how you can get involved, along with this news of the week:

• Increasing community involvement in development projects
• City Council approves Climate Action Plan Update
• Honoring veterans through public art
• City recognized for excellence in financial reporting
• Police community briefing focuses on how to prevent home burglaries
• Regional projects this weekend
• What’s on the agenda for your next City Council meeting

Increasing community involvement in development projects 

On Tuesday the City Council took another step to help protect Carlsbad’s community character in light of new state laws that have greatly reduced local control over new housing projects. Moving forward, developers of certain projects will need to hold at least one community meeting, create a project website, put more prominent signs at the project site and take other steps to notify the public and get their input.

Under the City Council’s updated policy, the processing of certain development applications may be delayed until a report is submitted to the city documenting the outreach that has been completed, the input received and what was done with that input. The types of projects subject to these new rules are the ones that tend to generate the most concern among our community, typically larger projects, projects with mixed uses (residential and non-residential on the same site) and projects that require amendments to city plans or zoning rules changes. See the full list of criteria.

One easy way you can tell a development project is being proposed around town is to look for a yellow sign at the property (like the one below). The City Council also increased the requirements for what information must be put on these signs, so if one catches your eye, be sure to take a closer look to get the details. 

As part of the policy update, developers will be provided with specific templates and checklists so it will be clear when and how the community was notified and what information was shared. Full details on all the updated public noticing and engagement requirements are in the City Council staff report. The policy updates will take effect Dec. 9, 2024, and apply to projects submitted to the city from that point on. In the meantime, if you ever want to see what projects have been proposed, you can sign up to receive email updates or visit this page on our website.

Maximizing local control

Requiring more public noticing and opportunities for input is the latest step the City Council has taken to help the city retain as much local control over new housing development as possible. Last week, the Planning Commission reviewed the first housing project to come forward since the City Council approved objective design standards.

• Under new state housing laws, cities may only enforce design standards if they are considered objective.
• The city worked with a citizen review committee to go through the Village and Barrio design standards to add the level of detail needed for them to be considered objective.  
• The city also updated citywide design standards to meet this requirement.
• This helps ensure new projects fit in with the character of surrounding neighborhoods.

Here’s how the new objective design standards played out with this first project:

• The project features a craftsman architectural style – one of the approved architectural styles that developers can choose from in the Village and Barrio.
• Decorative pavers in a color palette complementary to the building will be used for driveways and walkways, along with natural wood front doors for a cohesive, welcoming aesthetic.
• Walkways are landscaped on both sides, with trees that will offer shade along half the path.
• Patios are screened with raised planters .

You can read more about some of the other actions the City Council has taken to maximize the city’s local control over housing and why they’re important.

Carlsbad’s plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions

An updated plan for how Carlsbad will reduce greenhouse gas emissions over the next 20 years was approved by the City Council Tuesday, following more than two years of work by the project team. 

The Climate Action Plan Update is designed to meet state targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by two key dates:

By 2035: Half of what they were in 2016

By 2045: 85% lower than they were in 2016

Taking inventory

How will we know if we are meeting these targets? We start with something called a greenhouse gas inventory.

Step 1: Establish a starting point

First, the city gathers data from utilities and regional, state and federal agencies to show how much greenhouse gas is being emitted in Carlsbad and the sources.

Here are a few examples of activities occurring in our city that generate greenhouse gas emissions:

• Energy: Electricity and natural gas consumption in homes, businesses and industries
• Transportation: Vehicles and other forms of transportation within the city
• Waste: Trash decomposing in landfills generates greenhouse gas emissions
• Water use: You might not associate water with energy use, but most of the water we use is pumped to Carlsbad from hundreds of miles away. Pumping water uses energy, which creates greenhouse gas emissions.

Step 2: Make projections and set goals

The city utilizes data from the San Diego Association of Governments that forecasts trends in population, housing and jobs. These models help us estimate future greenhouse gas emissions, so we know how much we need to reduce to meet the state’s reduction levels.

Step 3: Make a plan

Based on the sources of emissions, we develop ways to reduce them, focusing on areas the city can control or influence. For example, Carlsbad can:

• Reduce landfill emissions by boosting recycling and composting programs, which help divert waste from landfills where it produces methane.
• Increasing the amount of clean energy used in Carlsbad. (We have made significant progress already through the Clean Energy Alliance.)
• Reducing water use reduces the energy used for pumping and treating water.

Each of these strategies, called measures in the plan, has an estimated reduction over time. Combined, they are forecasted to meet the goals of the plan.

Step 4: Track our progress

The Climate Action Plan Update not only sets targets but also includes annual tracking to monitor the city’s progress. Staff will return to the City Council each year with a report showing how the different measures are working. This way, we ensure we stay on track to meet Carlsbad’s goals.

Honoring veterans through public art 

On Monday, we observed Veterans Day — a time to reflect on the service and sacrifices of those who have served in our nation’s military. Meanwhile, our staff remains hard at work planning Veterans Memorial Park, near the corner of Faraday Avenue and Cannon Road.

The next milestone for the future park is to invite veterans, their families and other community members to work with the artist as he creates the initial design for art that will be featured at the highest point of the park, with scenic views of the Agua Hedionda Lagoon and the ocean.

A story of service for all veterans

Last year, city staff gathered input from veterans, active duty military and military family members in our community to gain an understanding of the experience veterans would like to create through the art at this location.

Many generations, one mission

Today’s community of veterans includes people with vastly difference experiences and points of reference.

• For example, the “Greatest Generation” served in World War II. Our oldest living veterans are now in their late 90s.
• By contrast, some veterans are still in their 20s, having served in more recent missions.

Before inviting artists to submit proposals, the city worked with local veterans, active-duty military and their families to find out what kind of art at this location would be most meaningful to them. By getting this input early on, it could be reflected in the “call for artists” and used by the committee in making their selection.

About the artist

Earlier this year, the city formed a committee made up of veterans, a professional artist, members of the city’s Arts Commission and other community members to select an artist for this important project. Gordon Huether Studio was chosen based on the team’s experience creating major public art projects, including art that honors veterans, and their emphasis on community collaboration. 

The public art process

Artists don’t submit proposals with suggested concepts for art. Instead, we ask for their qualifications, samples of their work and their approach to working with the community as part of their process for creating a new piece of art.

• One of the main themes we heard from veterans was the importance of avoiding stereotypes, instead creating something that connects with veterans of all ages, military branches and experiences.
• Veterans also told us they liked the idea of using reflection and interactive features.
• Something unique to Carlsbad that embraces nature was also a priority.

I know some of the readers of this newsletter participated in this early round of input gathering. Thank you! 

If you’d like to get involved, there is still time. Sign up to get email updates and we will contact you early next year when the artist is ready to start the process.

P.S. The overall timeline for the park being completed is still looking like late 2026.

City recognized for excellence in financial reporting  

Last week, the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canadaa notified the city that our fiscal year 2022-23 annual financial report earned the Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for the 34^th time, and the 27^th year in a row. 

• The award is the highest form of recognition in governmental accounting and financial reporting.
• You can think of it sort of like a corporate financial report.
• Preparing this report includes an independent audit, the results of which are also included in the report.

Learn more about city finances

Carlsbad police to provide tips for preventing home burglaries 

Join the Carlsbad Police Department next week for a community briefing on how to protect your home and prevent burglary.

Carlsbad Police saw a rise in residential burglaries around this time last year and are beginning to notice a similar trend now. At the meeting, you can meet Carlsbad detectives, learn safety tips and stay up to date on best practices for protecting your home.

Community briefing on home burglary prevention

Tuesday, Nov. 19

6 to 8 p.m.

Safety Training Center

5750 Orion St.

Registration is required and is limited to 80 people

In the meantime, the Police Department has published information and safety tips on preventing residential burglaries.

Regional projects update 

Regional transportation agencies will be doing work around our city coming up:

Build NCC Project (SANDAG/Caltrans)

Friday, 9 p.m. through Monday, 5 a.m.

Southbound I-5 off ramp onto Poinsettia Lane will be closed.

(Friday night only two of the southbound lanes will also be closed)

NCTD/Amtrak maintenance

No coastal rail service Saturday or Sunday

Remember to check our weekly construction map for city road work that could affect traffic. 

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

The next City Council meeting is Tuesday, Nov. 19, starting at 5 p.m. in the City Council Chamber. Topics include:

• City Manager employment agreement
• An agreement for SDG&E to install and maintain electric vehicle charging infrastructure at Veterans Memorial Park 
• Amending an agreement with a contractor to cover the final costs of the emergency work to repair a slope between El Camino Real and Trieste Drive
• Authorizing bidding on a project to replace the four upper seawall staircases along Carlsbad Boulevard and widen the sidewalk on the west side of Carlsbad Boulevard between Pine and Cherry avenues
• Bidding on a project to improve the stormwater drainage, paving and security fencing at the Carlsbad Municipal Water District’s reservoir at the east end of Bluff Court in Calavera Hills 
• Introducing an ordinance to change the educational requirements for the position of City Treasurer
• Adopting an ordinance to amend the Municipal Code regarding the City Manager’s city of residence to conform to state law 
• A proposed plan to spend federal Community Development Block Grant funding to help people with low incomes find housing in the next fiscal year
• Proposed changes to the city’s Municipal Code to clarify the city’s requirements and permit review procedures if the county decides to expand the McClellan-Palomar Airport
• Considering whether two properties – one on Roosevelt Street in the Village and the other on Wilson Street – constitute public nuisances because of ongoing trash, debris and maintenance issues. Declaring them to be nuisances would allow the city to order the property owners to clean up the properties within 30 calendar days and, if they don’t, the city would do the work and bill the property owner
• The plan to implement the Carlsbad Tomorrow Growth Management Citizens Committee’s recommendations to update the City’s Growth Management Program 
• An update on a proposed project to build a solar power generating and storage facility on vacant land next to the Carlsbad Municipal Water District’s Maerkle Reservoir, near the city’s border with Oceanside and Vista  
• Considering whether to add stop signs on Hoover Street where it intersects with Adams Street

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

City Council meetings: 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.

 Take care, stay safe and I’ll be back next week with more updates.

Scott Chadwick 

City Manager