View as Webpage

News from the City of Carlsbad | Sept. 26, 2024

This week we saw an example of how new state housing laws are affecting local control over development. I’ll explain what happened, and how the City Council still found a way to address community concerns within the narrow authority that remains. Here’s the full run down for today: 

• State’s density bonus law explained 
• Citizens Academy ride along: Discover Carlsbad 
• Shields improve traffic safety near freeways 
• National Preparedness Month all about being ready 
• Celebrate National Public Lands Day 
• Author shares real-life stories of courage and adventure  
• Dove Library celebrates 25 years 
• Join us for Coffee with a Cop on Wednesday 
• Next week’s meetings

Understanding the "density bonus" and how it affects Carlsbad

Starting in 2017, the state passed a slew of new housing laws designed to fast-track new residential development, especially affordable housing. Learn about these laws.

One way these new laws will result in more housing development is by significantly limiting a city’s ability to deny new projects and, in some cases, even enforce local zoning laws. We saw an example of this play out on Tuesday.  

The City Council held a public hearing for a project proposed for a property just west of I-5 on Carlsbad Village Drive (currently home to Smart & Final and other shops). Under the state’s new Density Bonus Law, the developer is allowed to exceed our height limit and the maximum number of homes allowed by setting aside a certain percentage of apartments for affordable housing. 

As I have explained in past issues of this newsletter, violating state housing laws can ultimately lead to something called the Builder’s Remedy. When this is triggered, developers are allowed to build new housing on any site, regardless of the zoning, at pretty much any density and at any height.  

Retaining what control we can 

Carlsbad is actually in a much better position that many other cities when it comes to retaining some local control over housing. That’s because as soon as the laws were passed, the City Council put new tools in place, including a state approved housing plan and objective design standards. 

Conditions 

One way the city can help address community concerns about development projects is to put conditions on the project’s approval, when feasible. The list of things that can be addressed through conditions is smaller than it used to be, but here are some examples from Tuesday: 

Concern: Large parking lot could discourage people from using transit 

Conditions: 1) Developer provides incentives (in the form of subsidies) for tenants who use mass transit and 2) The cost of parking will be separated from the cost of rent, so tenants have an incentive to have fewer cars. 

Concern: New shops will be needed but that part of the development could be built at a later phase.  

Condition: Clear deadline for completion of commercial buildings. 

These are just a couple of examples that applied to this specific project. You can see the full discussion toward the end of the meeting video. And, if you’re interested in this issue, I encourage you to also watch the beginning of this item where staff gives a good summary of all the housing laws that apply to this project. 

Other actions 

The City Council took two other actions Tuesday to address community concerns that have come up: 

• Require developers to do more public outreach when a project is about to be proposed. This will give community members more notice and a better opportunity to weigh in early. (This will be discussed at the Nov. 12 City Council meeting.) 
• Update the city’s municipal code so that decisions about certain environmental requirements are made by the City Council or the Planning Commission at a public meeting instead of administratively by city planners. 

NOTE: There is no way a few hundred words can summarize all the nuances and provisions of these new state housing laws, so please look at our new state housing laws website to see the exact language, exceptions, conditions and other important details.  

I encourage you to also sign up to be notified about meetings of our City Council Legislative Subcommittee, which takes the lead on advocating for and against legislation affecting our city. The more community members who are aware of these recent changes to state law and choose to get involved, the more effective our advocacy efforts will be. You can also see the housing related positions the City Council has taken recently. 

Citizens Academy ride along: Discover Carlsbad

Last week, Citizens Academy participants hopped on the Discover Carlsbad bus tour, getting a behind-the-scenes look at the city’s buildings, parks, open spaces and neighborhoods.  

Here are just a few of the interesting facts they learned along the way: 

• In the 1970s, the Buena Vista Lagoon was home to a group of pink flamingos that locals believed escaped from the San Diego Zoo, though the zoo denied missing any flamingos. 
• Stagecoach Community Park is named for its history as a stagecoach stop for travelers on a two-day journey from San Diego to L.A. in the 1800s (more on that in a future update). 
• Prehistoric remains of a giant ground sloth and mastodon were discovered in 2007 during initial grading work for the Robertson Ranch Park neighborhood. 
• After heavy rainfall, you might spot one or two waterfalls off Faraday Avenue between the road and The Crossings at Carlsbad Golf Course. While the waterfalls may not be the most impressive, they are near one of the city’s wildlife undercrossings, allowing our animal neighbors to cross under Faraday Avenue safely, away from traffic. 
• Cadencia Park in southeast Carlsbad features magnificent views of Box Canyon, Batiquitos Lagoon and the Pacific Ocean. Box Canyon, a 500-acre area of native coastal habitat is part of the city’s more than 6,200 acres of nature preserves. For those interested in hiking in the area, the trails in Rancho La Costa Preserve are nearby. 

This week our Citizens Academy participants will get to see our police, fire and emergency preparedness staff in action, and I’ll provide highlights in next week’s virtual ride along here. 

P.S. If you’re interested in Citizens Academy, consider applying online. We almost always have a waiting list well in advance of our fall start date, and, in fact, many of you already signed up after last week’s newsletter. 

"Shields" improve traffic safety  

You might have noticed some new additions to city streets around freeway onramps lately – namely, large I-5 symbols painted on the road letting drivers know which lane they need to be in. Here’s the backstory…  

Drivers unfamiliar with an area can suddenly find themselves in the wrong lane to get onto a freeway onramp. The right thing to do when this happens, of course, is to continue in your lane until there is a safe place to either change lanes or double back and try again. The reality, however, is that too many drivers end up making abrupt lane changes, swerving or otherwise causing a traffic safety hazard.  

Putting large freeway symbols on the road gives drivers more notice without contributing to “sign clutter.” Caltrans started using this approach on freeways in 2019, and now we’ve added 23 of these signs on Carlsbad streets. 

Fun facts 

• They aren’t actually painted on the road. The 6-foot-long shields are delivered in pieces, assembled on site and heated to adhere to the pavement. They’re coated in reflective glass beads to stand out at night. See a timelapse. 
• Freeway markers are called shields because of their shape. In the 1920s, during the development of the nation’s first interstate highway system, someone came up with the idea to make the signs this shape, and they sent mockups around to all 48 states (at the time) to choose the best one.  
• In 1964, California debuted the state highway sign we see today, a shield design meant to reference the spades used by the 49ers during the gold rush. 

Why now? 

Since rolling out in 2019, these pavement markings have become more common. In cities, they are utilized when there is a history of collisions caused by sudden weaving from drivers making last minute lane changes and when overhead signs are not practical. 

• Carlsbad first added I-5 shields on Cannon Road as a part of the East West Corridors project, while Caltrans added an I-5 legend on westbound Palomar Airport Road.  
• Carlsbad next added the pavement markers after getting complaints about erratic driving around the Poinsettia onramps to I-5. 
• After seeing an improvement there, we decided to add the markings around other multi-lane roads leading to I-5 too. 

If you’re wondering if these markings are coming to the 78 interchanges, here is another fun fact – most people think of the 78 as being the border between Carlsbad and Oceanside, but the actual border jigs and jags a bit.  You can see in the map below the approximate border of all but one of the onramps to the 78 is in Oceanside. 

Fun facts, part 2 

• All freeways are highways, but not all highways are freeways. The main difference is that you can only get onto a freeway via an onramp (think I-5). 
• Highways can look like freeways in some places, and in others turn into what feels like a regular street, with stop signs and cross traffic (like old Highway 1 in Dana Point). 
• The interstate freeway system we have today was created during the Eisenhower administration in the 1950s (the “I” in I-5 is short for interstate). In fact, the full official name of the system is the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways. 
• The last piece of this 40,000-mile network was completed in 1992, marking the official completion of the system. 

This work has wrapped up, but you can check our construction map to see where other road work is planned next week. (We often refer to projects as “road work,” but these projects also include a combination of water and sewer infrastructure maintenance, rehabbing storm drain pipes and other work that just happens to require temporary road or lane closures.) 

Download new app for National Preparedness Month

September is National Preparedness Month, so before the month comes to a close, be sure to download the new Genasys Protect app.   

• This new app is being used regionwide when individual neighborhoods need to be notified about an emergency. 
• Carlsbad first responders have customized these areas, called zones, based on their specific knowledge of our city and previous emergencies, like the 2014 Poinsettia Fire. 

You will be notified about emergencies in your area through a regionwide wireless alert system, even if you don’t have the new app. But having the app will enable our first responders to give you more detailed location information. 

AlertSanDiego, the existing reverse 9-1-1 system, is also still being used. Landlines are automatically part of the database, but you can add your mobile phone and email to get alerts that way. 

Don’t forget we have our annual Public Safety Open House on Oct. 5 where you can learn more about how to prepare for emergencies and help keep your family safe.  

More emergency preparedness info 

National Public Lands Day trail volunteer event



If you’re interested in getting involved with the city’s trails program, the next trail volunteer cleanup is this Saturday, Sept. 28, at Lake Calavera, in honor of National Public Lands Day. 

Trail volunteer event 

Saturday, Sept. 28 

8:30 to 11:30 a.m. 

Lake Calavera Sky Haven trailhead 

3701 Sky Haven Lane, Oceanside (the trailhead is at the border of Carlsbad and Oceanside) 

• The city provides shovels, rakes and other tools, along with a short training for new volunteers. 
• Tasks can range from trimming back brush and picking up debris to filling holes and repairing erosion. 
• Bring water to stay hydrated and make sure to wear closed-toe shoes, sunscreen and gloves. 
• Park along Sky Haven Drive and check in at the Sky Haven trailhead. 
• RSVP by emailing Sarah Czech. 

You can learn more about Carlsbad’s trails, including locations, parking information, difficulty level and more on our GoHike Carlsbad portal. 

Author shares real-life stories of courage and adventure

Author Eric Blehm is a North County native and avid surfer and snowboarder who started his journalism career covering outdoor sports in college.  

 

In the decades since, he has become a New York Times best-selling author, known for telling true stories of adventure, courage and sacrifice, including many involving military heroes.  



In his latest book, “The Darkest White,” Blehm shares the story of legendary snowboarder Craig Kelly, including his death in a 2003 avalanche that claimed the lives of seven people. Blehm knew Kelly, first as a snowboarding icon, then as a trusted source and eventually as a friend.  

You can hear Blehm talk about “The Darkest White” and his other works at a special author event this Saturday at the Dove Library. 

Eric Blehm Author Event 

Saturday, Sept. 28, 2 p.m. 

Dove Library 

1775 Dove Lane 

An audience Q&A and book signing will follow the discussion.   

Dove Library celebrates 25 years

Speaking of Dove Library, yesterday, Sept. 25, marked the 25th anniversary of the library’s opening. Today, Dove Library is a gathering place for arts, literature and gatherings, and I can’t wait to see what the next 25 years have in store.   

Join us for Coffee with a Cop on Wednesday

Connect with Carlsbad police officers at our next Coffee with a Cop gathering Wednesday at Panera Bread at the Shoppes at Carlsbad. We hold these informal meetups at different locations throughout Carlsbad so you can get to know local officers, ask questions and share your thoughts. 

Coffee with a Cop 

Wednesday, Oct. 2 

8 to 10 a.m. 

Panera Bread 

The Shoppes at Carlsbad 

2501 El Camino Real 

Upcoming city meetings

The next City Council meeting is scheduled for Oct 8. Several city boards and commissions are scheduled to meet next week. You can see our full meeting schedule on our city calendar. Meetings are open to the public and livestreamed on the city’s website.  

Before I sign off, I wanted to revel in the baseball history we witnessed Tuesday, when the Padres became the first team ever to clinch a playoff spot with a game-ending triple play, according to Elias Sports Bureau. This may just be our year.  

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

Scott Chadwick 

City Manager